Beechcraft F33A N1HH

Summary

On 26 January 2022 at about 17:55 local time, a Beechcraft F33A registered N1HH was involved in an accident near Williams, Arizona, 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

26 January 2022 at 17:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Williams, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

H A Clark Meml Fld (CMR)

Coordinates

35.3282, -112.2026

Aircraft

Beechcraft F33A

Registration

N1HH

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Williams → Mohave Valley

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22LA083

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s activation of the auxiliary fuel boost pump shortly after takeoff, which resulted in an excess amount of fuel to the engine and a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during previous flights, he had observed overheating of two of the engine cylinders, and activation of the auxiliary fuel boost pump had worked to resolve the overheating. Shortly after takeoff on the accident flight, the pilot observed cylinder heating and activated the boost pump, after which the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing in an open desert field. The airplane landed hard and impacted vegetation during the landing roll, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. Data retrieved from the airplane’s engine monitoring system showed that the fuel flow rate increased from 23.4 gallons per hour (gph) to 28.7 gph, with a peak fuel flow of 30.8 gph, followed by a sudden decrease. The engine manufacturer recommended that the fuel flow setting should be between 23.2 – 24.9 gph. Both the pilot operating handbook for the airplane and a placard on the auxiliary boost pump indicated that the pump should be off during takeoff and only turned on in the event of a loss of fuel pressure. It is likely that the pilot’s activation of the auxiliary fuel boost pump resulted in excess fuel being delivered to the engine during the initial climb, which resulted in the total loss of engine power. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.