Beechcraft A36 N4972M

Summary

On 22 June 2012 at about 17:00 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N4972M, operated by Jana VanAmburg, was involved in an accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming, 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

22 June 2012 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

41.5969, -109.0650

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N4972M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jana VanAmburg

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bend → Rock Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA309

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation because of the incorrectly installed fuel cap. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to continue the flight using fuel from the left fuel tank after she observed fuel streaming from the left fuel tank cap.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during an uneventful flight, she continued past her original destination to another destination. Shortly thereafter, the pilot observed fuel streaming from the left fuel tank cap and noted that the left fuel tank gauge indicated that the tank was about 3/4 full. The pilot continued the flight toward her new destination while continuing to use fuel from the left fuel tank. As the airplane neared the new destination, the pilot observed that the left fuel tank was about 1/2 full; the engine then lost power. After the engine lost power, the pilot switched fuel tanks and advanced both the throttle and mixture control levers; however, the engine did not restart, so she performed an off-airport landing to an open field. During a postaccident interview, the pilot stated that the fuel cap was not secured properly after refueling. As a result, fuel was siphoned from that fuel tank during the flight. Further, because the pilot had chosen to continue operating on that fuel tank, the engine lost power due to fuel starvation. A pressure differential likely resulted in the inaccurate fuel gauge indication. Examination of the left fuel tank cap and seal revealed no evidence of any preexisting anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.