20130208002069A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · North American-Medore SNJ-4 · Garden City, TX · February 8, 2013

Date: February 8, 2013 · 12:20 local
Place: Garden City, TX
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2269U
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN13LA157
Reported as: North American-Medore SNJ-4
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,042 total22 in this make and model72 in the last 90 days

N2269URegistered now · North American-Medore SNJ-4S/N 88-12850 Airframe modelNorth American-Medore SNJ-4 Engine modelPratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1Reciprocating

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.

Pilot was in-route from bernie stage field in san antonio returning the SNJ-4 to midland airpark (mdd) after repairs were made to the fuel system.

Cruising at 8500 feet the pilot changed the fuel selector (there was fuel pressure showing before the change). After the switch of fuel tanks the fuel pressure showed zero and even with the use of the wobble pump, the fuel pressure never returned. The pilot returned the fuel selector to the original position, but fuel pressure was not restored, even with the use of the wobble pump.

The pilot landed with a quartering left tail wind on an oilfield service road. His right main wheel got caught in some soft sand, pulling the airplane to the right into a field. The left main landing gear broke off and the airplane tipped up on its nose and off onto the wingtips. The wings were damaged but sitting upright minus the left landing gear.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS IN-ROUTE FROM BERNIE STAGE FIELD IN SAN ANTONIO RETURNING THE SNJ-4 TO MIDLAND AIRPARK (MDD) AFTER REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE FUEL SYSTEM.

CRUISING AT 8500 FEET THE PILOT CHANGED THE FUEL SELECTOR (THERE WAS FUEL PRESSURE SHOWING BEFORE THE CHANGE). AFTER THE SWITCH OF FUEL TANKS THE FUEL PRESSURE SHOWED ZERO AND EVEN WITH THE USE OF THE WOBBLE PUMP, THE FUEL PRESSURE NEVER RETURNED. THE PILOT RETURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE ORIGINAL POSITION, BUT FUEL PRESSURE WAS NOT RESTORED, EVEN WITH THE USE OF THE WOBBLE PUMP.

THE PILOT LANDED WITH A QUARTERING LEFT TAIL WIND ON AN OILFIELD SERVICE ROAD. HIS RIGHT MAIN WHEEL GOT CAUGHT IN SOME SOFT SAND, PULLING THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT INTO A FIELD. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR BROKE OFF AND THE AIRPLANE TIPPED UP ON ITS NOSE AND OFF ONTO THE WINGTIPS. THE WINGS WERE DAMAGED BUT SITTING UPRIGHT MINUS THE LEFT LANDING GEAR.

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 CEN13LA157Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGarden City, TXThe loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.Feb 8, 2013 · Substantial damage