ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 151452
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| Date: | Friday 21 December 2012 |
| Time: | 16:50 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft B55 Baron |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N30WC |
| MSN: | TC-628 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11136 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-470 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 2 mi from Las Cruces Airport, NM -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Santa Teresa, TX (5T6) |
| Las Cruces Municipal Airport, NM (LRU/KLRU) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot said he added 31 gallons of fuel (for a total 0f 70 gallons) prior to departure. The fuel gauges indicated the main tanks were one-half to three-quarters full, with the remainder in the auxiliary tanks. The fuel selectors were on the main tanks. After a short 10-minute flight, the pilot executed an ILS approach in VMC. Ten miles from the runway threshold, the right engine started surging. Fuel flow fluctuated between 28 gph and 2 gph. He advanced the throttle, propeller, and mixture controls and turned on the fuel boost pumps. The airplane yawed and he identified the right engine as having lost power. He feathered the propeller and secured the engine. Shortly thereafter, the left engine lost power. The airplane impacted terrain, shearing off the left wing. The right engine was partially separated from the right wing. An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and said the right propeller was not feathered and both fuel selectors were in the auxiliary tank position. The left engine throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were full forward. The right engine throttle and propeller control were only slightly retarded, and the mixture control was in the IDLE CUTOFF position. Both fuel selectors were positioned on the auxiliary tanks, but the fuel gauge selector switch was on the main tanks.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to properly manage the airplane's fuel, which resulted in engine failure due to fuel starvation.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=30WC
https://flightaware.com/photos/view/168017-2503997985f84781116810d177d7c5c38342e38d/aircrafttype/BE55
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Dec-2012 10:19 | Geno | Added |
| 21-Jan-2013 02:33 | Masen63 | Updated [Aircraft type, Location] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Jan-2017 17:16 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Nov-2017 14:00 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 08-Jun-2023 12:11 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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