20020228009079I

Incident

FAA incident report · Beech C23 · Salina, KS · February 28, 2002

Date: February 28, 2002 · 13:40 local
Place: Salina, KS
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N832KS
Reported as: Beech C23
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 174 total10 in this make and model45 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) The pilot was practicing touch and go landings. After his last takeoff, and while climbing out, he started a turn to the right. The engine sputtered. The pilot rolled wings level, added carb heat and switched from the right to the left fuel tank. The engine sputtered again, then quit. The pilot made a successful off airport forced landing which did not damage the aircraft or injury to the pilot. The left tank was found to contain less than a gallon of fuel. The right tank held 7.5 gallons of fuel. It appears the pilot changed to a fuel tank which did not contain a sufficient amount to sustain engine operation.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. AFTER HIS LAST TAKEOFF, AND WHILE CLIMBING OUT, HE STARTED A TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE PILOT ROLLED WINGS LEVEL, ADDED CARB HEAT AND SWITCHED FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AGAIN, THEN QUIT. THE PILOT MADE A SUCCESSFUL OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING WHICH DID NOT DAMAGE THE AIRCRAFT OR INJURY TO THE PILOT. THE LEFT TANK WAS FOUND TO CONTAIN LESS THAN A GALLON OF FUEL. THE RIGHT TANK HELD 7.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. IT APPEARS THE PILOT CHANGED TO A FUEL TANK WHICH DID NOT CONTAIN A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO SUSTAIN ENGINE OPERATION.