Beechcraft A36 N117HB

Summary

On 20 July 2013 at about 18:09 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N117HB was involved in an accident near Tupelo, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 July 2013 at 18:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Tupelo, Mississippi, United States

Nearest airport

Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP)

Coordinates

34.2769, -88.7700

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N117HB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Birmingham → Tupelo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13LA331

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total 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

While the airplane was on final approach to the destination airport about 600 feet above ground level, the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot subsequently made a forced landing, and the airplane impacted the ground, became airborne, crossed a road, and then came to rest short of the intended runway. First responders reported that they found the fuel selector valve positioned to the left tank and that they observed fuel leaking from the left wing; however, an exact amount of fuel could not be ascertained. The recovery company reported that the right wing fuel tank contained 17 gallons of fuel and that the left wing fuel tank contained less than 1 gallon of fuel. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Although blue streaking was observed on the aft portion of the left wing, it could not be determined if the blue streaks were due to fuel leaking during the flight or the accident sequence or before the day of the accident. Examination of the engine revealed carbon deposits on all of the cylinders' piston faces, which is consistent with operating the engine at too lean of a fuel mixture. Following a normal engine test run, minimal carbon deposits were noted. Although some fuel was in the left wing tank at the time of the accident, it was likely less than the usable amount required, as indicated by the lean fuel mixture at the engine; thus, it is likely that the total loss of engine power was due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.