- Date
- April 26, 2007, 19:00 local (Apr 27, 2007, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hatch, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3700GCessna 310R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20070426005949A
- Case key
- 65668
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 inattentiveness to the fuel flow and fuel selector valve position resulting in fuel starvation. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to follow proper engine failure procedures, and the pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision making.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that during the flight the left engine lost power. The pilot stated that he did not switch fuel tanks. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing in the desert. During the landing the right wing impacted "high vegetation," resulting in substantial damage. A visual inspection revealed that the auxiliary fuel tanks were empty. An examination of the airplane’s systems revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, twenty minutes into the flight the left engine lost power. The pilot stated that he did not switch fuel tanks. Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center gave the pilot vectors to Hatch Municipal Airport, Hatch, New Mexico. He realized that he would not make it to the airport and elected to perform a forced landing in the desert. During the landing the right wing struck "high vegetation." The right wing spar was crushed aft and the right tip tank separated. After landing the pilot moved the fuel selector valve to the off position; he did not state what the original position was. The FAA stated that the auxiliary fuel tanks were empty. Fuel leaked from the tip of the right wing, and evidence of fuel was confirmed in the left fuel tank, but was not measured. An examination of the remaining airplane systems, conducted by the FAA, reveal no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3700G
- Reported as
- Cessna 310R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310R0899
- Airframe hours
- 18,434
- Engines
- Teledyne Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocatingTeledyne Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Aero Charter and Transport
- Registered owner
- D&A Investments
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · March 1, 2007
- Departed
- LRU · Las Cruces, NM
- Destination
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- E05 · Hatch Muni
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,870 total · 12 in this make and model · 2,678 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KLRU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3700G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.