ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 153651
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| Date: | Friday 1 March 2013 |
| Time: | 15:45 |
| Type: |  Aero Commander 500B |
| Owner/operator: | Houston Air |
| Registration: | N93AA |
| MSN: | 500B-1296-111 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1964 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10021 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-E1B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | NW of Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport -KBJC, Denver, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Broomfield, CO (KBKC) |
| Broomfield, CO (KBKC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot stated that, during the preflight inspection of the airplane, he checked the fuel gauge, and it indicated 65 gallons. Due to the design of the fuel system, it is not possible to visually check the fuel level to confirm that the fuel gauge indication is accurate. During takeoff and as he reduced power for enroute climb, the left engine began to surge and lose power. He immediately turned left back toward the airport and contacted the control tower to advise that he was making a single-engine, straight-in approach to land. When he lowered the landing gear, the right engine began to surge and lose power. Subsequently, the pilot declared an emergency, and, realizing he had insufficient engine power and altitude to return to the airport, he retracted the landing gear and made a no-flap, gear-up landing on a nearby golf course. Postaccident application of battery power to the airplane confirmed that the fuel gauge indicated 65 gallons; however, when the airplane's fuel system was drained, only about 1/2 gallon of fuel was recovered. Thus, the engines lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
Probable Cause: Loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the fuel gauge to indicate the actual amount of fuel on board the airplane and the design of the airplane's fuel system, which precluded a visual confirmation of the fuel level.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Mar-2013 22:23 | Geno | Added |
| 01-Mar-2013 22:33 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Mar-2013 12:50 | Anon. | Updated [Damage] |
| 02-Sep-2014 12:05 | Aerossurance | Updated [Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 10-Jan-2016 11:59 | Anon. | Updated [Damage] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 28-Nov-2017 14:15 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Mar-2024 19:50 | Anon. | Updated [Photo] |
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