- Date
- January 27, 1989, 17:55 local (Jan 28, 1989, 01:55 UTC)
- Place
- Parlier, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8403NBeech E33
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890127001589A
- Case key
- 26329
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 improper in-flight planning/decision to continue to the destination airport after encountering a restrictionof fuel flow from the right tank and subsequent fuel starvation when the left tank emptied. Contributing factors were the blocked fuel vent and a ditch.
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
Before depg on a flt from san diego to fresno, the plt visually inspected the fuel tanks & both were full. He took off at about 1515 PST using the left tank. He rprtd that over the seal beach area, he selected the right tank. Aprx 2 min later, the eng began running rough & he noted a drop in fuel pressure. He then reselected the left tank & the eng returned to normal opn. Over the lake Hughes area, he momentarily selected the right tank again & experienced the same problem. At that time, he believed there would be sufficient fuel in the left tank to continue to fresno. However, when the acft was on arrival at the altta intxn (iaf for the ILS rwy 29R apch), the eng lost power. The plt selected the right tank, but was unable to restart the eng. He made an emergency lndg in an open area, but after rolling aprx 100 to 150 ft, the acft hit a ditch & was extensively damaged. An exam revealed the left tank was empty & the right tank was full. A further exam revealed the right fuel tank vent tube was obstructed with insects & debris.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8403N
- Reported as
- Beech E33
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CD-1168
- Airframe hours
- 3,556
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-K, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Farris L. Farrell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 1, 1988 · 62 hours before
- Departed
- SDM · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- FAT · Fresno, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 44 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT, 6 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.