- Date
- March 30, 1991, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hilt, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N584BBeech A35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910330007969A
- Case key
- 27152
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 application of a sealant instead of a lubricant to the internal 'o' rings seals in the fuel selector by maintenance personnel. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's inability to select a fuel source and fuel starvation that resulted in an engine failure. Rough terrain at the landing site was also a factor in the accident.
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
A sealant by the name of 'fuelube' was substituted for a lubricant for the 'o' rings seals in the fuel selector/manual fuel pump during maintenance. The pilot stated that 10 operational hours after the application of 'fuelube' he experienced binding in the fuel selector when he attempted to change tanks and the he was unable to feel the detent position. He attempted to changed fuel tank while on across country flight and the engine failed from fuel starvation. He executed a forced landing to an open, rock strewn, field that imparted substantial damaged to the aircraft during touch down.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N584B
- Reported as
- Beech A35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D1603
- Engine
- Continental E255-8, 255 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mosley, Otto A
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- OAK · Oakland, CA
- Destination
- MFR · Medford, OR
- 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
- 74
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 5,300 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- SIY, 15 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.