- Date
- January 28, 1996, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Prairie, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6706CBeech 77
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960128001019A
- Case key
- 19754
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 loss of power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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
When nearing the destination airport, the fuel boost pump was turned on and the pilot smelled a strong odor of fuel. The engine began to lose power and the fuel boost pump was turned off. Carburetor heat was applied and the engine continued to lose power. Full throttle was applied; however, the engine only produced 600 to 700 RPM. The pilot was concerned about a possible inflight fire and elected to execute a forced landing to Joe Pool Lake. After recovery of the airplane from the lake a successful engine run was accomplished, and no anomalies were found with either the carburetor or associated fuel system components.
Factual narrative
On January 28, 1996, at 1100 central standard time, a Beech 77, N6706C, registered to and operated by a private owner as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Grand Prairie, Texas. The private pilot received minor injuries. The local flight originated from Grand Prairie, Texas, at 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed.
During interviews with the investigator-in-charge and the FAA inspector, the pilot reported the following information. The pilot flew to Cleburne, Texas, to conduct traffic pattern work; however, due to the traffic pattern being too crowded, he elected to return to the Grand Prairie Airport. On the return flight, the fuel boost pump was turned on and the pilot smelled a strong odor of fuel. The engine began to lose power and the fuel boost pump was turned off. Carburetor heat was applied and the engine continued to lose power. Full throttle was applied; however, the engine only produced 600 to 700 RPM. The pilot added that he was concerned about a possible inflight fire and elected to execute a forced landing to Joe Pool Lake.
The pilot further reported to the FAA inspector that during the water landing he stalled the airplane a "little high." As the airplane contacted the water, it nosed down. The pilot egressed and climbed onto the inverted airplane. As the airplane began to sink, the pilot swam to a buoy where he was rescued.
Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector revealed one wing was separated, and one fuel tank contained blue tinted fuel and water. According to the FAA inspector a successful engine run was accomplished, and no anomalies were found with either the carburetor or associated fuel system components.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6706C
- Reported as
- Beech 77
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- WA49
- Airframe hours
- 4,709
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Frank A. Hansen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 16, 1995 · 47 hours before
- Departed
- GPM
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 145 total · 40 in this make and model · 70 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Observed at
- RDB, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.