- Date
- December 19, 1984, 11:08 local (19:08 UTC)
- Place
- West Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4247Ade Havilland DHC-3 Turbo
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841219014769A
- Case key
- 40024
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
Acft was performing test flt maneuvers when problems with the modified fuel system occurred. Ice blocking a fuel vent line caused a partial collapse of the main (engine feed) fuel cell which produced an errouneous fuel quantity reading. In addition, the main tank overflow shutoff valve was leaking, so tank overflow occurred. The fuel overflow caution light illuminated and auxiliary tank fuel pump feed to main automatically shut down. Due to miscalibration, this system overrode plt attempts to restart aux fuel pumps. Plt remained in test area troubleshooting rather than immediate return to base, finally noted main tank gage continuing to read 'full.' En route to Boeing field, fuel starvation occurred. Pltopted to attempt forced lndg in small athletic field in residential area rather than ditch in puget sound. The acft touched down in intended lndg area, then bounced across an adjacent street. The arresting action of telephone wires on the vertical fin brought the acft to rest in a residential backyard.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4247A
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-3 Turbo (DHC-3 TURB)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421
- Airframe hours
- 7,445
- Engine
- P&W PT-6A-135, 787 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cox Aircraft Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 21, 1984 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- BFI · Seattle, WA
- Airport
- Boeing Field
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
- 61
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 15 in this make and model · 7,500 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFI, 5 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.