- Date
- April 3, 1996, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chandler, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N45043Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 17, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960403005919A
- Case key
- 29406
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 failure of both the engine driven and hand wobble fuel pumps, which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.
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 reported that he was in cruise when the fuel pressure went to zero. He attempted to restore the fuel pressure by using a hand wobble pump but was unsuccessful. The engine lost power and the aircraft nosed over during the forced landing in desert terrain. FAA inspectors examined the aircraft and found fuel in the tanks. The engine driven and hand wobble fuel pumps were removed from the engine and taken to an overhaul facility where they were installed in a calibrated test bench for a functional check. Both pumps failed the functional test and did not flow any fuel. Review of the maintenance records revealed no entry denoting an overhaul of the components at the time of the last engine overhaul. The history, calendar age, and total time of the pumps are unknown.
Factual narrative
On April 3, 1996, at 1030 hours mountain standard time, an antique Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, N45043, nosed over during a forced landing near Chandler, Arizona. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power during cruise. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and the one passenger onboard were not injured. The flight originated from Chandler on the day of the accident at 1020 as a local area personal flight.
The pilot reported that he was in cruise when the fuel pressure went to zero. He attempted to restore the fuel pressure by using a hand wobble pump but was unsuccessful. The engine lost power and the aircraft nosed over during the forced landing in desert terrain.
FAA inspectors examined the aircraft and found fuel in the tanks. The engine driven and hand wobble fuel pumps were removed from the engine and taken to an overhaul facility where they were installed in a calibrated test bench for a functional check. Both pumps failed the functional test and did not flow any fuel. Review of the maintenance records revealed no entry denoting an overhaul of the components at the time of the last engine overhaul. The history, calendar age, and total time of the pumps are unknown.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N45043
- Reported as
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2716
- Airframe hours
- 2,080
- Engine
- P&W R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Steven K. Burk
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 1996 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- CHD
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,274 total · 16 in this make and model · 1,147 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.