ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 168274
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| Date: | Wednesday 6 August 2014 |
| Time: | 17:45 |
| Type: |  Beechcraft B36TC Bonanza |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N1069T |
| MSN: | EA-589 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1996 |
| Engine model: | Continental TSIO-520 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | SE of Decatur Airport (KDEC), Decatur, Illinois -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Macomb, IL (MQB) |
| Decatur, IL (DEC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that, while on approach to the airport, he switched the fuel selector handle to the left fuel tank. Minutes later, while he was turning the airplane in the traffic pattern, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. He switched on the electric fuel pump, and the engine power was briefly restored. The engine lost power again, and the pilot made a forced landing to a cornfield on the south side of the airfield.
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that fibrous debris, which measured 0.2 inch by 0.4 inch, was present in the fuel manifold valve and the filter screen. Similar debris was also found obstructing the inside of the fuel selector screen. Data extracted from the airplane’s engine monitor data card revealed that, during cruise flight, the fuel flow was inconsistent, ranging from about 20 to 95 gallons per hour (gph); this was likely due to the debris obstruction. In the final minute of the flight, the fuel flow decreased to 5 gph and then spiked to 75 gph, which is consistent with the fuel pump being switched on, before decreasing again without recovering. The engine rpm tracked with the reductions and increase in fuel flow. Based on the physical evidence and the engine data, it is likely that the debris in the fuel selector screen ultimately blocked the fuel from reaching the engine, which resulted in fuel starvation.
Probable Cause: Debris in the fuel system, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent loss of engine power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://flightaware.com/resources/registration/N1069T
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Aug-2014 04:18 | Geno | Added |
| 07-Aug-2014 22:45 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 09-Aug-2014 18:36 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Time, Aircraft type] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 30-Nov-2017 18:59 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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