19990218018139A

(.19) On February 18, 1999, about 0735 hours mountain standard time, a Beech F33, N8253C, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing approximately 30 miles west of Prescott, Arizona. The private pilot and his pilot passenger were not injured. The aircraft was owned and operated by airline training center Arizona, inc., and operating under 14 CFR part 91 as an instructional flight. The company reported that the two pilots would fly a cross-country together; one would fly the outboard leg and the other the return. A duats weather briefing was obtained and a VFR flight plan was filed. The aircraft departed it's home base in goodyear, Arizona, for palm springs, California, about 0640. The route of flight was to take them to drake VOR, then kingman, Arizona, and on to palm springs. The pilot stated he was in cruise flight west of drake at 8,500 MSL when the engine began to run rough. He verified the levers were in their normal positions. Then the engine quit; he noted the fuel pressure was reading zero. He turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and tried the restart procedure. Fuel pressure was still zero and the engine was windmilling at 1600 RPM. He stated he switched tanks and kept the auxiliary fuel pump on. The restart procedure was tried again, butfuel pressure remained zero. He attempted a glide to the hill ranch dirt landing strip, elevation 5,700 feet. He could not make it to the strip and landed several hundred feet short in rough terrain. The nose gear folded under, the left wing was crushed, and one propeller blade was damaged. It was company policy for pilots to switch fuel tanks with every heading change. During the course of this flight the tanks had been changed several times and the engine operated normally. Tanks had last been switched 6-8 minutes before the occurrence. The federal aviation administration inspector on scene verified the left tank was full and the right tank was down to the bottom of the filler neck. (-23)subject aircraft on authorized team flight, VFR cross-country from gyr to psp via igm & blh. N.w. of drk on 282 R/30 DME engine began running rough with RPM drop. Pilot attempted restart tow times - 1 per tank (altitude @ time of power loss: 8500 MSL). Restart unsuccessful, aircraft made forced landing approx 100 ft e of oro ranch strip damaging wings & prop. (.4)the pilot was in cruise flight at 8,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) when the engine began to run rough. He verified the engine power controls were in their normal positions. Then the engine quit, and he noted the fuel pressure was reading zero. He turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and tried the restart procedure. Fuel pressure was still zero and the engine was wind milling at 1,600 RPM. He switched tanks and kept the auxiliary fuel pump on. The restart procedure was tried again, but fuel pressure remained zero. He attempted a glide to a dirt landing strip but had insufficient altitude and landed several hundred feet short in rough terrain; the nose gear collapsed when it encountered a ditch. Fuel quantity was verified on scene with the left tank full and the right tank at the bottom of the filler neck. The airframe and engine were examined following recovery and a 5-gallon fuel supply was attached to the right wing fuel system. The fuel selector valve was checked and operated normally. The boost pump was operated and the fuel pressure was observed in the normal range. The engine was primed, started, and run through the complete power range. A 50-RPM drop was observed when each magneto was checked at 1,700 RPM. Normal fuel flows were observed and leaning of the mixture was normal. No mechanical problems were encountered during the engine run and the engine shut down normally.