- Date
- February 6, 2023, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hilbert, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1074WBeech F33A
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230206002929A
- Case key
- 106885
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during initial climb through about 5,000 ft mean sea level, the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Unable to return to the departure airport, the pilot conducted a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the left fuel tank contained no usable fuel, and the right fuel tank was full of fuel. After the airplane was recovered, a functional engine test run, with the right fuel tank selected, was completed with no anomalies noted. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. After the accident, the pilot stated that he should have a better understanding of engine restart procedures. The loss of engine power was attributed to fuel starvation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1074W
- Reported as
- Beech F33A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE-432
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 8,450
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2023
- Departed
- ATW · Appleton, WI
- Destination
- LOT · Romeoville, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ATW
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 28, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,655 total · 827 in this make and model · 1,587 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- ATW, 15 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.