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19970405004879A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 170B · Furnace Creek, CA · April 5, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 5, 1997 · 14:31 local
Place
Furnace Creek, CA
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2294D
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX97LA146
Reported as
Cessna 170B
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A1A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,324 total1,689 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N2294DRegistered now · Cessna 170BS/N 20446 · Built 1952Airframe modelCessna 170BEngine modelContinental C145 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft engine quit on takeoff at a low altitude. (.4)the pilot departed with the fuel selector set to the 'both' tanks position. However, during the flight fuel appeared to have been mostly used from the right tank. To equalize the burn off, he repositioned the fuel selector to the left tank only position. Fuel continued to be consumed out of the right tank, and the engine quit when the right fuel tank gauge registered empty and the left tank gauge registered 3/4 full. The pilot made a forced landing on a road. Thereafter, the pilot examined his airplane and noted that the fuel selector handle was 'real loose.' The pilot manually siphoned between 12 and 15 gallons of fuel out of the left tank, poured it into the right tank, and took off. Several seconds into the initial climb, between 100 and 150 feet above ground level, all engine power was lost again. Unable to return to the road, the pilot made a forced landing on rough terrain. The fuel tank selector assembly was examined and its control shaft was found disconnected at its attachment to the fuel valve assembly.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT ENGINE QUIT ON TAKEOFF AT A LOW ALTITUDE. (.4)THE PILOT DEPARTED WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR SET TO THE 'BOTH' TANKS POSITION. HOWEVER, DURING THE FLIGHT FUEL APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN MOSTLY USED FROM THE RIGHT TANK. TO EQUALIZE THE BURN OFF, HE REPOSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK ONLY POSITION. FUEL CONTINUED TO BE CONSUMED OUT OF THE RIGHT TANK, AND THE ENGINE QUIT WHEN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK GAUGE REGISTERED EMPTY AND THE LEFT TANK GAUGE REGISTERED 3/4 FULL. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD. THEREAFTER, THE PILOT EXAMINED HIS AIRPLANE AND NOTED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE WAS 'REAL LOOSE.' THE PILOT MANUALLY SIPHONED BETWEEN 12 AND 15 GALLONS OF FUEL OUT OF THE LEFT TANK, POURED IT INTO THE RIGHT TANK, AND TOOK OFF. SEVERAL SECONDS INTO THE INITIAL CLIMB, BETWEEN 100 AND 150 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST AGAIN. UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE ROAD, THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON ROUGH TERRAIN. THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR ASSEMBLY WAS EXAMINED AND ITS CONTROL SHAFT WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED AT ITS ATTACHMENT TO THE FUEL VALVE ASSEMBLY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97LA146Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFurnace Creek, CAFuel starvation resulting from disconnection of the fuel selector valve. Factors which contributed to the accident were the pilot's intentional operation with known airplane deficiencies and the rough terrain.Apr 5, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2294D · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19930809030759ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Lakeport, CAGround looped landing in a crosswind. Blamed wind gust.Aug 9, 1993 · Reported as Cessna STC170 · Substantial damage