Beechcraft A23 N3573R

Summary

On 18 December 2012 at about 20:49 local time, a Beechcraft A23 registered N3573R was involved in an accident near Grand Isle, Nebraska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 December 2012 at 20:49

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Isle, Nebraska, United States

Nearest airport

Central Nebraska Regional (KGRI)

Coordinates

40.9586, -98.2894

Aircraft

Beechcraft A23

Registration

N3573R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McCook → Grand Isle

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA109

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's inadequate fuel management due to distraction by airport traffic, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that he completed two full-stop landings without incident. He stated that, during the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern for the third landing, the turn was “rushed” due to the traffic. While on the downwind leg, the tower controller advised the student of traffic, and the leg was extended. The student stated that, during his prelanding instrument check, he noted that the selected right fuel tank was empty and that he then selected the left fuel tank, which indicated that 3/8 of a tank of fuel was remaining. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power, and the student pilot landed it to a field on airport property. The student pilot stated that, immediately after the forced landing, he started the airplane and taxied back to the ramp with the left fuel tank still selected. A mechanic inspected the engine fuel injection system and found no blockage or contamination in the distribution manifold or the fuel injector nozzles. He also drained the remaining fuel from both fuel tanks and found that the right fuel tank had 1.5 quarts of fuel remaining and that the left fuel tank had 19.75 gallons of fuel remaining. Therefore, it is likely that the student pilot was distracted by airport traffic and did not switch from the empty fuel tank to the fuel tank with fuel remaining in a timely manner, thus starving the engine of fuel. Given the proximity to the ground, the student pilot did not have time to attempt to restart the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.