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20090217002099A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Beech H35 · Grain Valley, MO · February 17, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 17, 2009 · 09:35 local
Place
Grain Valley, MO
Airport
East Kansas City
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7942D
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN09LA167
Reported as
Beech H35
Reported engine
Continental O470G
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,694 total963 in this make and model13 in the last 90 days
N7942DRegistration cancelled Aug 23, 2013 · Beech H35S/N D-5192 · Built 1957Airframe modelBeech H35Engine modelContinental O-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) Pilot departed runway 9 at East Kansas City Airport (3GV). At about 200 feet AGL, the engine lost power, resulting in a forced landing about 1 mile east of the airport. Left wing struck trees about one foot from left tip spinning aircraft 180 degrees around and shearing off the nose gear strut assembly. The left wing has substantial damage from main gear outboard. Pilot reported that after loss of power he pumped the fuel wobble pump and power came back, lost power again, he switched fuel tanks from left tank to right tank and pumped wobble pump and power came back again. After losing power again, he switched from right tank back to left tank, pumped wobble pump and turned to the south to land in the cornfield. Found left fuel tank as full, right tank was 1/2 full and both auxiliary tanks were 1/2 full. No water or contaminates found in fuel. Carburator inlet fuel screens had contaminates in it. Found foreign material under the engine driven fuel pump pressure relief valve. This allowed fuel to bypass back to the fuel tank instead of going to the carburetor, causing low fuel supply for high power engine operation.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT DEPARTED RUNWAY 9 AT EAST KANSAS CITY AIRPORT (3GV). AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER, RESULTING IN A FORCED LANDING ABOUT 1 MILE EAST OF THE AIRPORT. LEFT WING STRUCK TREES ABOUT ONE FOOT FROM LEFT TIP SPINNING AIRCRAFT 180 DEGREES AROUND AND SHEARING OFF THE NOSE GEAR STRUT ASSEMBLY. THE LEFT WING HAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM MAIN GEAR OUTBOARD. PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER LOSS OF POWER HE PUMPED THE FUEL WOBBLE PUMP AND POWER CAME BACK, LOST POWER AGAIN, HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS FROM LEFT TANK TO RIGHT TANK AND PUMPED WOBBLE PUMP AND POWER CAME BACK AGAIN. AFTER LOSING POWER AGAIN, HE SWITCHED FROM RIGHT TANK BACK TO LEFT TANK, PUMPED WOBBLE PUMP AND TURNED TO THE SOUTH TO LAND IN THE CORNFIELD. FOUND LEFT FUEL TANK AS FULL, RIGHT TANK WAS 1/2 FULL AND BOTH AUXILIARY TANKS WERE 1/2 FULL. NO WATER OR CONTAMINATES FOUND IN FUEL. CARBURATOR INLET FUEL SCREENS HAD CONTAMINATES IN IT. FOUND FOREIGN MATERIAL UNDER THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE. THIS ALLOWED FUEL TO BYPASS BACK TO THE FUEL TANK INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE CARBURETOR, CAUSING LOW FUEL SUPPLY FOR HIGH POWER ENGINE OPERATION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN09LA167Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGrain Valley, MOThe loss of engine power due to fuel starvation (mechanical). Contributing to the accident was the forced landing on unsuitable terrain.Feb 17, 2009 · Substantial damage