20220831008459I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Britten-Norman BN-2A-20 · Hat Creek, ID · August 31, 2022

Date: August 31, 2022 · 08:38 local
Place: Hat Creek, ID
Airport: Hat Creek
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: GAJA
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N4438
Reported as: Britten-Norman BN-2A-20
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 7
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,599 total387 in this make and model273 in the last 90 days

N4438Registered now · Britten-Norman BN-2A-20S/N 766 · Built 1976 Airframe modelBritten-Norman BN-2A-20 Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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.

Pilot had refueled the aircraft (N4438) the evening prior to this incident (8/30/2022) in salmon, ID (smn) and then flew it that evening on a FAR 135 flight to boise, ID. (Boi) where he overnighted. No fuel was added while in boi.

The following morning (8/31/2022) he departed boi with 6 passengers on a FAR 135 flight with an intended destination of his home base of salmon, ID.

When the flight was approximately 25NM sw of smn the right engine ceased operation due to fuel exhaustion. Shortly thereafter the left engine began to surge due to pending fuel exhaustion.

As the aircraft was descending, the pilot was able to maneuver to land on a private 900' grass airstrip near Hat Creek, ID. No injuries or aircraft damage reported.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT HAD REFUELED THE AIRCRAFT (N4438) THE EVENING PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT (8/30/2022) IN SALMON, ID (SMN) AND THEN FLEW IT THAT EVENING ON A FAR 135 FLIGHT TO BOISE, ID. (BOI) WHERE HE OVERNIGHTED. NO FUEL WAS ADDED WHILE IN BOI.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING (8/31/2022) HE DEPARTED BOI WITH 6 PASSENGERS ON A FAR 135 FLIGHT WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF HIS HOME BASE OF SALMON, ID.

WHEN THE FLIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 25NM SW OF SMN THE RIGHT ENGINE CEASED OPERATION DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE DUE TO PENDING FUEL EXHAUSTION.

AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING, THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER TO LAND ON A PRIVATE 900' GRASS AIRSTRIP NEAR HAT CREEK, ID. NO INJURIES OR AIRCRAFT DAMAGE REPORTED.