Investigation Points To Possible Issue With Fuel Gauges
The NTSB has released a preliminary report from an accident which occurred in October which fatally injured the pilot of the Beech Debonair. A pilot-rated passenger received minor injuries from the accident.
According to the report, the Beech 35-C33, N293GC, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain after a loss of engine power during approach to Columbus County Municipal Airport (CPC), Whiteville, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight which departed from Cannon Creek Airport (15FL), Lake City, Florida about 0735.
According to the pilot-rated passenger, the private pilot told him that the engine on the accident airplane would consume about 11.5 gallons per hour in cruise flight. On the morning of the accident, during the preflight inspection of the airplane they noticed that the fuel level was about ½ inch above the tabs in both fuel tanks. They initially intended to fly from 15FL to Lake City Gateway Airport (LCQ), Lake City, Florida for fuel, but the fixed-base-operator was closed, so they decided to refuel at CPC, on their way to their final destination of Westerly State Airport (WST), Westerly, Rhode Island.
After departing 15FL, they flew with the fuel selector in the right tank position for 1 hour and 25 minutes. When they were about 40 minutes from CPC, the private pilot switched the fuel selector to the left tank position.
During the final approach to runway 6 at CPC, when the airplane was about 700 ft above mean sea level, the private pilot switched the fuel selector to the right tank, as the landing checklist required the selector to be selected to the fullest tank for approach and landing. The pilot-rated passenger noticed that the left fuel tank gauge was showing ¼ full, and the right fuel tank gauge was showing ½ full. He then advised the private pilot that that could not be correct, as they had been operating on the right tank for most of the flight. The nose of the airplane then dropped, and the pilot-rated passenger advised the private pilot that the airplane had lost engine power. The pilot-rated passenger then noticed the private pilot twisting the vernier type throttle, and he told him again that the engine was not producing any power.
The private pilot then reached down, and switched the fuel selector to the left tank. The pilot-rated passenger noticed that as the private pilot leaned forward against the throw-over control wheel assembly, the airplane pitched sharply downward. The pilot-rated passenger then saw that the airplane was approaching trees, and he yelled at the private pilot who then looked up just as the airplane's left wing struck a tree. The pilot-rated passenger then put his arms in front of him to brace himself. He subsequently egressed from the airplane and called 911.
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest in a heavily wooded area about 2,000 ft from the approach end of runway 6. The airplane came to rest upright, in a 38° nose down attitude, facing the opposite direction of travel.
Examination of the airplane revealed that it had been substantially damaged during the impact sequence with the outboard left wing sustaining significant impact damage near the flap/aileron junction.
The throttle was in the full throttle position, the propeller control was in the high rpm (fine pitch) position, the mixture control was in the full rich position, and the fuel boost pump switch was on. The wing flaps were in the 30° extended position and the landing gear was down. The fuel selector valve was in the "LH TANK" position.
The left fuel tank contained about 16 gallons of fuel, and the right fuel tank contained about 0.5 gallons of fuel. Both left fuel tank and right fuel tank quantity transmitters were checked with an Ohmmeter; the resistance levels were variable and moved in concert with the floats. When electrical power was applied to the electrical system, the left fuel tank quantity gauge indicted about ½ full and the right fuel tank quantity gauge indicated about ¾ full.
When the left fuel tank quantity transmitters were actuated to full (up), the left fuel tank quantity gauge responded accordingly. When the left fuel tank quantity transmitters were actuated to empty (down), the left fuel tank quantity gauge responded accordingly.
When the right fuel tank quantity transmitters were actuated to full (up), the right fuel tank quantity gauge responded accordingly. When the right fuel tank quantity transmitters were actuated to empty (down), the right fuel tank quantity gauge still indicated approximately ¾ full.
The engine did not exhibit physical impact damage. Oil was present in the oil sump, galleries, and rocker boxes. The engine oil dipstick indicated that the oil sump contained about 5.5 quarts of oil. All six upper spark plugs exhibited normal wear patterns, were dry, and exhibited a light color consistent with a lean combustion mixture. Examination of the piston domes, cylinder walls, exhaust valves, and intake valves with a lighted borescope, did not reveal any anomalies. Continuity was established with the cockpit engine controls and the associated engine components. The throttle and mixture control arms remained attached and secured. The mufflers and tailpipes were impact damaged.
Drivetrain continuity was established, thumb compression and suction were achieved on all six cylinders, and rocker arm motion was observed on all valves. Spark was produced by the magnetos to each ignition lead, and the impulse couplers were heard to release. The fuel control inlet screen was clean, and the engine driven fuel pump gear and drive coupling were intact. The fuel pump rotated smoothly, and fuel was expelled when manually rotated. The oil pump appeared normal, and the vacuum pump drive coupling was intact.
Examination of the two-bladed propeller revealed that one propeller blade exhibited S-bending, twisting, and leading-edge paint erosion, with smearing of the red paint that was on the blade tip. The other blade was bent aft around the left side of the engine; the blade was twisted, and the tip was curled aft. Freshly cut sections of tree limbs, about 5 inches in diameter and approximately 15 inches long were observed at the accident site.. One section exhibited a red paint transfer mark.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman and pilot records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, and rotorcraft-helicopter. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on February 22, 2016. He had accrued about 3,797 total hours of flight experience, about 2,403 hours of which, were in single engine airplanes.
According to FAA airman records, the pilot-rated passenger, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, and instrument-airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on September 19, 2016. He reported on that date, that he had accrued about 1,330 total hours of flight experience.
According to FAA airworthiness and maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 1966. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on March 4, 2017. At the time of the Accident, the airplane had accrued about 5,812 total hours of operation.
The wreckage was retained for further examination.
(Image from file. Not accident airplane)
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