Zenair CH2000 N33ZA

Summary

On 16 November 2001 at about 00:45 local time, a Zenair CH2000 registered N33ZA was involved in an accident near Wentzville, Missouri, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 November 2001 at 00:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Wentzville, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

38.8095, -90.8496

Aircraft

Zenair CH2000

Registration

N33ZA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Saint Louis → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI02FA033

2 people died.

The improper selection of the fuel selector which resulted in fuel starvation and subsequent engine failure. Factors were the unsuitable terrain for the forced landing encountered by the pilot and the night light condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was destroyed when it impacted the side of a ravine during a forced landing following a loss of engine power at night. Witnesses described the airplane in a steep descent angle prior to impacting the ground. One witness reported seeing the airplane flying in a westerly direction. The witness said that she, "... thought it was strange because there was no engine noise at all." She further stated that the airplane, "...was going steady and all of a sudden the plane just fell out of the sky. There was no gradual [descent] it just fell." Another witness reported that the airplane was at a low altitude with the engine "sputtering". The witness reported that just prior to impact he heard the airplane, "...go to full power." The pilot had accumulated 6.6 hours of flight time since receiving his private pilot certificate on August 27, 2001. The pilot purchased the airplane on November 9, 2001. Witness statements indicate that the pilot flew the airplane on November 11, 2001, and the airplane was fully fueled prior to that flight. No records of subsequent fueling of the airplane were found. A witness reported that, prior to the accident flight, he assisted the pilot in starting the engine because the airplane master switch had been left on. The witness reported that he also performed a pre-flight inspection of the airplane and noted that the left fuel tank contained less than 1/4 tank of fuel, and the right fuel tank had 3/4 tank of fuel. He said that he positioned the selector valve for the left tank and informed the pilot. An "Airplane Log" recovered from the accident scene contains an entry for a 2.3 hour flight on November 11, 2001. The entry lists an ending tachometer reading of 738.70 hours. The recording tachometer reading at the accident site was 739.9 hours. The fuel selector was found positioned for the right fuel tank. The fuel hoses leading from the fuel tanks to the selector valve were cut during the investigation and any remaining liquid collected. About one ounce of a blue colored liquid was drained from the fuel hose leading from the right fuel tank to the selector valve. No liquid was found within the fuel hose leading from the left fuel tank to the selector valve. No other anomalies were found, with respect to the airplane, engine or systems, that were determined to exist prior to impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.