What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N360AS, piloted by privacy data omitted departed riverside airport (krvs) in tulsa, ok at approximately 1050 CST on December 29, 2008. privacy data omitted Stated that all fuel tanks were full and the fuel selector was on the main fuel tank which is located behind the engine and in front of the cockpit for the first 20 minutes of the flight. At that time privacy data omitted selected the left fuel tank which he continued to use until the aircraft fuel gauge for that tank indicated that 5 gallons had been used. privacy data omitted Then selected the right fuel tank until the fuel gauge indicated that he had used 10 gallons from that tank. privacy data omitted Then moved the fuel tank selector back to the left tank. privacy data omitted Stated that approximately 20 minutes after changing to the left tank the engine failed. While performing the emergency checklist the fuel selector was found to move freely with little resistance. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and privacy data omitted performed a forced landing in a field approximately 7 miles southwest of Owensboro airport (kowb) in Owensboro KY at approximately 1300 CST. During the investigation the main fuel tank was found to have only a trace of fuel. The left and right fuel tanks were found to have fuel levels that were consistent with privacy data omitted statements. Inspection of the fuel selector found that the cotter pin used to connect the selector handle adapter to the shaft which turns the valve was sheared. This resulted in movement of the fuel selector handle not changing the position of the valve. The fuel selector valve was tested and found to be in the main tank position. This was accomplished by attempting to flow fuel to the engine when the main fuel tank was empty, which was unsuccessful. Then after adding a measured amount of fuel to the main tank, that same amount of fuel was flowed to the engine resulting in the main tank again being empty. Investigation concludes that while making the change from the right tank to the left tank the cotter pin sheared as the fuel selector valved passed through the main tank position. This resulted in fuel being drawn from the main tank rather then the left tank as the fuel selector handle indicated. Because the main fuel tank has a capacity of only 10 gallons, some of which had been used for takeoff and initial climb, and the engine in cruise has a fuel burn of approximately 10 gallons per hour it did not take long for that tank to be depleted of fuel resulting in the engine failure. Due to the pilots inability to change the position of the fuel selector valve to one of the fuel tanks which contained fuel the attempted restart was unsuccessful.
As the FAA filed it
N360AS, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED RIVERSIDE AIRPORT (KRVS) IN TULSA, OK AT APPROXIMATELY 1050 CST ON DECEMBER 29, 2008. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT ALL FUEL TANKS WERE FULL AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE MAIN FUEL TANK WHICH IS LOCATED BEHIND THE ENGINE AND IN FRONT OF THE COCKPIT FOR THE FIRST 20 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT. AT THAT TIME ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SELECTED THE LEFT FUEL TANK WHICH HE CONTINUED TO USE UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT FUEL GAUGE FOR THAT TANK INDICATED THAT 5 GALLONS HAD BEEN USED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN SELECTED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK UNTIL THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THAT HE HAD USED 10 GALLONS FROM THAT TANK. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN MOVED THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR BACK TO THE LEFT TANK. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AFTER CHANGING TO THE LEFT TANK THE ENGINE FAILED. WHILE PERFORMING THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND TO MOVE FREELY WITH LITTLE RESISTANCE. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OWENSBORO AIRPORT (KOWB) IN OWENSBORO KY AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 CST. DURING THE INVESTIGATION THE MAIN FUEL TANK WAS FOUND TO HAVE ONLY A TRACE OF FUEL. THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS WERE FOUND TO HAVE FUEL LEVELS THAT WERE CONSISTENT WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATEMENTS. INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR FOUND THAT THE COTTER PIN USED TO CONNECT THE SELECTOR HANDLE ADAPTER TO THE SHAFT WHICH TURNS THE VALVE WAS SHEARED. THIS RESULTED IN MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE NOT CHANGING THE POSITION OF THE VALVE. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS TESTED AND FOUND TO BE IN THE MAIN TANK POSITION. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY ATTEMPTING TO FLOW FUEL TO THE ENGINE WHEN THE MAIN FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY, WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THEN AFTER ADDING A MEASURED AMOUNT OF FUEL TO THE MAIN TANK, THAT SAME AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS FLOWED TO THE ENGINE RESULTING IN THE MAIN TANK AGAIN BEING EMPTY. INVESTIGATION CONCLUDES THAT WHILE MAKING THE CHANGE FROM THE RIGHT TANK TO THE LEFT TANK THE COTTER PIN SHEARED AS THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVED PASSED THROUGH THE MAIN TANK POSITION. THIS RESULTED IN FUEL BEING DRAWN FROM THE MAIN TANK RATHER THEN THE LEFT TANK AS THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE INDICATED. BECAUSE THE MAIN FUEL TANK HAS A CAPACITY OF ONLY 10 GALLONS, SOME OF WHICH HAD BEEN USED FOR TAKEOFF AND INITIAL CLIMB, AND THE ENGINE IN CRUISE HAS A FUEL BURN OF APPROXIMATELY 10 GALLONS PER HOUR IT DID NOT TAKE LONG FOR THAT TANK TO BE DEPLETED OF FUEL RESULTING IN THE ENGINE FAILURE. DUE TO THE PILOTS INABILITY TO CHANGE THE POSITION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO ONE OF THE FUEL TANKS WHICH CONTAINED FUEL THE ATTEMPTED RESTART WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.