# Accident 20000609040749A: Mrchti SF260, Norfolk, VA, June 9, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 9, 2000, 18:51 local time - Place: Norfolk, VA - Airport: Norfolk International - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.8956° N, 76.1989° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at NORFOLK INTL (ORF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.8956&lon=-76.1989&mi=10 - Aircraft: N43GP, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N43GP-2014-06-03) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Siai-Marchetti SF260 (registry code 8121208, https://openairdocs.org/model/siai-marchetti-sf260) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Allison 250 series (registry code 03014, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MRCHTI SF260 - Reported engine: ALLSN 250B17C - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,132 total, 87 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC00LA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00LA157) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000609040749A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4) ON JUNE 9, 2000, ABOUT 1851 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL CERTIFICATED SIAI-MARCHETTI SF260TP, N43GP, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER IT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE LANDING AT THE NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ORF), NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT/OWNER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT STATED THAT PRIOR TO BEING REFUELED, 14 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS CONTAINED IN THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN REFUELED WITH 25 GALLONS OF JET-A FUEL. AT DEPARTURE, BOTH WING TANKS WERE FULL AND THE WING TIP TANKS HELD ABOUT 7 GALLONS IN EACH TANK. THE PILOT FLEW LOCALLY FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, AND THEN RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT TO PERFORM A FULL-STOP LANDING ON RUNWAY 23. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE PILOT REDUCED THE POWER AND NOTICED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A "COMPRESSOR SURGE." HE SET THE POWER AT 20% N1, EXTENDED 25 DEGREES OF FLAPS, AND TURNED ONTO THE BASE LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE PILOT NOTICED THE LOW FUEL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND THEN GO OUT. HE THEN TURNED ONTO THE FINAL APPROACH LEG OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, AND OBSERVED THE LOW-PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATE A SECOND TIME, AND THEN IT WENT OUT AGAIN. THE PILOT ASSURED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE "NORMAL" POSITION AND CONFIRMED THE POSITION OF ALL SWITCHES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE "NORMAL." THE LOW FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON A THIRD TIME, AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOR THE DURATION OF THE LIGHT. THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE "NORMAL" TO THE "EMERGENCY" POSITION. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, THE PILOT NOTICED "THREE OR FOUR DISCERNABLE COMPRESSOR SURGES AND THE ENGINE FLAMED OUT." THE TIME DURATION BETWEEN THE FIRST SURGE TO THE FLAMEOUT WAS ABOUT 10 SECONDS. AT THE TIME OF THE FLAMEOUT, THE PILOT OBSERVED AN ALTIMETER INDICATION OF 600 FEET. HE THEN RETRACTED THE FLAPS AND SLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO 90 KNOTS. HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE TWICE, WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR SET ON "EMERGENCY" FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST ATTEMPT. AT 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE PILOT EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND THEN THE FLAPS. HE FLARED ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND TO CLIMB OVER A "SEAWALL", AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND AT OR CLOSE TO A "FULLY STALLED CONDITION." THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR AND WHEN IT CAME BACK DOWN, THE LEFT WING HIT THE GROUND FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT, ABOUT 900 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT TURNED OFF ALL SWITCHES, MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO "OFF", AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE. (-23) ON JUNE 09, 2000, AT NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ORF), NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 23, THE PILOT GOT A LOW FUEL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER THE ENGINE HAD SEVERAL COMPRESSOR SURGES, THEN THE ENGINE FLAMED OUT. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRFRAME FUEL SYSTEM SHOWED FUEL FLOWED NORMALLY EXCEPT WHEN THE TRANSFER FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE TAPPED UPON TO GET THE PUMP TO INITIALLY OPERATE. THE ENGINE WAS SENT TO THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER TO BE TEST RUN AND THEN A TEARDOWN PERFORMED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC00LA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00LA157), Jun 9, 2000: Siai-Marchetti SF260TP (N43GP), Norfolk, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fuel starvation of the engine, caused by the failure of the fuel transfer pump. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.