20030905031839I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech 35-33 · Blacksburg, VA · September 5, 2003

Date: September 5, 2003
Place: Blacksburg, VA
Airport: Virginia Tech Airport
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N684V
Reported as: Beech 3533
Reported engine: Continental IO470*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0

N684VRegistered now · Beech 35-33S/N CD-108 · Built 1960 Airframe modelBeech 35-33 Engine modelContinental I0-470 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.

(-23) Both auxiliary fuel tank cap center locking tabs rusted & stiff to operate. Visual check of both 10 gallon auxiliary fuel tanks indicated dry tanks & both bladder tanks were sucked up off the bottom. Left auxiliary fuel quantity gage has no auxiliary empty position on it. Ran the engine on both main tanks with no problem. Engine quit when switch to auxiliary fuel position. The electric fuel boost pump required to restart engine. Sumped all fuel tanks no water present. Pilot stated mud daubers (wasp), had filled right fuel vent, and cleared the vent with a plastic probe from his water tester. Pilot then checked left fuel vent and detected no obstruction. Pilot further stated after the engine quit while practicing instrument approach to Blacksburg airport, VA. There was not enough time to look down & switch the electric fuel boost pump to on.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) BOTH AUXILIARY FUEL TANK CAP CENTER LOCKING TABS RUSTED & STIFF TO OPERATE. VISUAL CHECK OF BOTH 10 GALLON AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS INDICATED DRY TANKS & BOTH BLADDER TANKS WERE SUCKED UP OFF THE BOTTOM. LEFT AUXILIARY FUEL QUANTITY GAGE HAS NO AUXILIARY EMPTY POSITION ON IT. RAN THE ENGINE ON BOTH MAIN TANKS WITH NO PROBLEM. ENGINE QUIT WHEN SWITCH TO AUXILIARY FUEL POSITION. THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP REQUIRED TO RESTART ENGINE. SUMPED ALL FUEL TANKS NO WATER PRESENT. PILOT STATED MUD DAUBERS (WASP), HAD FILLED RIGHT FUEL VENT, AND CLEARED THE VENT WITH A PLASTIC PROBE FROM HIS WATER TESTER. PILOT THEN CHECKED LEFT FUEL VENT AND DETECTED NO OBSTRUCTION. PILOT FURTHER STATED AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE PRACTICING INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO BLACKSBURG AIRPORT, VA. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO LOOK DOWN & SWITCH THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP TO ON.

Other reports on N684V · 2

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

Incident 19960803027229ILevel Off Touchdown · Plattsburgh, NYNarrative: Mr. Allen stated; on approach he put the landing gear in the down position. A few moments later, he then switched the landing lights to on, but used the wrong switch, putting the landing gear back in the up position, the flaps in the full-down…Aug 3, 1996 · Minor damage Incident 19930415012949ILevel Off Touchdown · Yelm, WAPilot forgot to lower landing gear. Landed gear up.Apr 15, 1993 · Minor damage