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19980317007439A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Beech A35 · Auburn, CA · March 17, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 17, 1998 · 13:45 local
Place
Auburn, CA
Airport
Auburn Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8597A
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98FA119
Reported as
Beech A35
Reported engine
Continental E1858
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
330 total
N8597ARegistration cancelled May 15, 2013 · Beech A35S/N D-2035 · Built 1949Airframe modelBeech A35Engine modelContinental E185 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.

Engine quit on climbout. Tried return. Crashed half mile short. Report shows fuel depletion or fuel contamination. (.4) the airplane's engine lost power during the initial climb after departure, and the pilot performed a 180-degree turn back towards the airport, but landed short of the runway. The airplane was equipped with a hand operated emergency fuel pump, which was part of the fuel selector valve. The emergency procedures section of the POH states that the emergency hand pump should be used to restore fuel pressure in the event of an engine driven pump failure. The pilot stated that he never attempted to use the emergency hand fuel pump. An on-scene examination revealed fuel in both main tanks. Examination of the engine driven lear-romec fuel pump coupling found it had sheared and separated. Internal examination of the pump revealed bluing of the steel pump vane tips and galling of the pump liner. According to the manufacturer, the pump at some time had been operated without fuel, which cools the vanes, and had overheated. Metallurgical examination of the failed fuel pump coupling revealed that it separated due to ductile torsional overstress at a designed location. Ac cording to records available, the pump had accumulated about 619 hours since overhaul with an unknown total time. (-23) on climbout acft engine started to run rough before it quit. Attempted to return to field and crashed 1/2 mile west of Auburn airport.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE QUIT ON CLIMBOUT. TRIED RETURN. CRASHED HALF MILE SHORT. REPORT SHOWS FUEL DEPLETION OR FUEL CONTAMINATION. (.4) THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST POWER DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER DEPARTURE, AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A 180-DEGREE TURN BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT, BUT LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A HAND OPERATED EMERGENCY FUEL PUMP, WHICH WAS PART OF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE. THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES SECTION OF THE POH STATES THAT THE EMERGENCY HAND PUMP SHOULD BE USED TO RESTORE FUEL PRESSURE IN THE EVENT OF AN ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP FAILURE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NEVER ATTEMPTED TO USE THE EMERGENCY HAND FUEL PUMP. AN ON-SCENE EXAMINATION REVEALED FUEL IN BOTH MAIN TANKS. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN LEAR-ROMEC FUEL PUMP COUPLING FOUND IT HAD SHEARED AND SEPARATED. INTERNAL EXAMINATION OF THE PUMP REVEALED BLUING OF THE STEEL PUMP VANE TIPS AND GALLING OF THE PUMP LINER. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, THE PUMP AT SOME TIME HAD BEEN OPERATED WITHOUT FUEL, WHICH COOLS THE VANES, AND HAD OVERHEATED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FAILED FUEL PUMP COUPLING REVEALED THAT IT SEPARATED DUE TO DUCTILE TORSIONAL OVERSTRESS AT A DESIGNED LOCATION. AC CORDING TO RECORDS AVAILABLE, THE PUMP HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 619 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL WITH AN UNKNOWN TOTAL TIME. (-23) ON CLIMBOUT ACFT ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH BEFORE IT QUIT. ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO FIELD AND CRASHED 1/2 MILE WEST OF AUBURN AIRPORT.

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 LAX98FA119Accident · Minor injuriesField investigationFinal reportAuburn, CAfailure of the engine driven fuel pump drive coupling and the pilot's failure to perform the emergency procedure specified in the Pilot Operating Handbook.Mar 17, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8597A · 1

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

Incident 19781102023779IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Pleasant Grove, CAForced landing after engine quit. Found restricted fuel line.Nov 2, 1978 · Minor damage