- Date
- November 2, 2011, 12:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Chesterfield, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N833Beech F33A
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111102024659A
- Case key
- 82223
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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, as a result of the pilot's improper fuel management.
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 airplane had been fueled and then flown for about 3.25 hours prior to landing at a private airstrip. After dropping off a passenger, the pilot departed from the private airstrip and was en route to a nearby airport when the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing into a reservoir, which resulted in substantial damage to the ailerons. The airplane was recovered from the reservoir, and about 20 and 12 gallons of fluid were drained from the right and left wing fuel tanks, respectively. The fluid from the right tank was determined to be aviation fuel; however, the fluid from the left tank was determined to be water only and void of fuel. The fuel selector was selected to the left tank. The postaccident examination revealed no other anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation.
Factual narrative
The airplane had been fueled and then flown for about three hours and fifteen minutes prior to landing at a private landing strip. The pilot then departed from the private strip and was enroute to a nearby airport when the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing into a reservoir, which resulted in substantial damage to the ailerons. The airplane came to rest upright and floated for several minutes, while the pilot egressed and was rescued by a local resident. After the airplane was recovered from the reservoir, about 20 gallons of fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank. The left wing fuel tank was void of fuel and the fuel selector was selected to the left tank. Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no other anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N833
- Reported as
- Beech F33A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE-1217
- Airframe hours
- 1,681
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-520-BB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 20, 2011 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- Fork Union, VA
- Destination
- FCI · Chesterfield, VA
- Airport
- FCI · Chesterfield County Airport
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
- 78
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 20, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,577 total · 300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.39 inHg
- Observed at
- FCI, 7 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 21, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.