14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 27, 2016 in Seymour, IN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/06/2016
Aircraft: BEECH V35, registration: N2714T
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The pilot reported that the engine began running roughly during cruise flight a few minutes after he switched the fuel selector from the left to the right main fuel tank. He initially switched back to the left main fuel tank, which still contained useable fuel, increased the mixture control to full rich, and turned on the high-boost auxiliary fuel pump. The engine continued to run roughly with occasional backfires and power surges. The pilot then selected the low-boost auxiliary fuel pump and changed back to the right main fuel tank, which contained significantly more fuel than the left main fuel tank. He reported that engine operation briefly improved, before it resumed producing partial power with occasional power surges. The pilot reported that he continued to select different fuel tanks, including the right wingtip tank that only had residual fuel available. Ultimately, the pilot selected the right main fuel tank and the engine continued to operate at partial power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a nearby interstate highway. Shortly after touchdown, the pilot had to maneuver the airplane to avoid another vehicle and it subsequently entered the grass median separating the northbound and southbound lanes. The airplane’s left wing was substantially damaged when it impacted a grass embankment. A postaccident inspection of the airplane established that there was ample fuel remaining within each main wing fuel tank. The wingtip fuel tanks contained about a gallon of fuel each. Both auxiliary fuel pumps functioned normally when electrical power was applied. An operational engine test run was completed without any modifications to the airframe fuel system and using the fuel remaining in each main tank. The engine performed within its normal operating parameters throughout the engine test run and demonstrated the ability to produce maximum static rpm. Additionally, while at a cruise engine power setting, there was no interruption to engine operation while alternating between the right and left main fuel tanks. During the test run, the fuel selector handle was placed between the right and left main fuel tank positions to simulate an inadvertent misplacement of the fuel selector. Normal engine operation continued for about 30 seconds before there was a noticeable loss of engine power and an associated engine backfire from fuel starvation. The fuel selector was immediately repositioned to the right main fuel tank and normal engine operation was reestablished. Ultimately, the operational test run did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation. The airplane owner’s manual stipulates that when there is a loss of engine power, the auxiliary fuel pump should be used momentarily until engine power is regained. However, if engine operation does not improve within a few moments, the auxiliary fuel pump should be turned off. A flight manual supplement further stipulates that if a fuel tank becomes fully depleted, the low-boost auxiliary fuel pump should be turned on while changing fuel tanks; however, the auxiliary fuel pump should be turned off once the engine restarts. Additionally, the flight manual supplement cautions that operating with the high-boost auxiliary fuel pump turned on with a functioning engine-driven fuel pump can produce an over-rich fuel mixture and a partial or total loss of engine power. It is likely that the initial engine roughness was caused by the pilot improperly positioning the fuel selector handle between the left and right main fuel tanks, which resulted in a restricted fuel flow to the engine and the initial loss of engine power during cruise flight. After identifying the initial loss of engine power, the pilot likely repositioned the fuel selector handle to a fuel tank containing useable fuel; however, contrary to operational guidance, his continued to use the high-boost auxiliary fuel pump for an extended period, which likely resulted in an over-rich fuel mixture condition that prevented the engine from resuming normal operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's improper placement of the fuel selector handle between two tank positions, which resulted in a restricted fuel flow to the engine and the initial loss of engine power, and his improper decision to use the high-boost auxiliary fuel pump for an extended period, which resulted in an over-rich fuel mixture condition that prevented the engine from resuming normal operation.
On February 27, 2016, about 1125 eastern standard time, a Beech model V35 single-engine airplane, N2714T, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on Interstate I65, near Seymour, Indiana. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that departed Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport (UMP), Indianapolis, Indiana, about 1045, with the intended destination of Bowman Field Airport (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky.
The pilot estimated that the airplane had departed with about 40 gallons of fuel for the planned 46 minute flight. He further estimated that, before departure, the right and left main fuel tanks contained about 30 gallons and 10 gallons, respectively. Both outboard tip tanks only contained residual fuel. After departure, the flight continued toward the planned destination and received visual flight rules (VFR) flight following from air traffic control (ATC). The pilot reported that he switched from the right main fuel tank to the left main fuel tank after reaching the final cruise altitude of 5,500 feet mean sea level (msl). After drawing fuel from the left main fuel tank for about 10 minutes, he switched back to the right main fuel tank as he prepared for his initial descent to the destination airport.
The pilot reported that the engine began to run roughly after operating on the right main fuel tank for about 3 minutes. He switched back to the left main fuel tank, increased the mixture control to full rich, and turned on the high-boost auxiliary fuel pump. The engine continued to run roughly with occasional power surges. Additionally, the pilot reported that the engine would occasionally backfire, which was followed by a corresponding surge in engine power. The pilot then selected the low-boost auxiliary fuel pump and changed back to the right main fuel tank, which contained significantly more fuel than the left main fuel tank. He reported that engine operation briefly improved, over a 15-20 second period, before it resumed producing partial power with occasional power surges. The pilot reported that he continued to select different fuel tanks, including the right wingtip tank that only had residual fuel available. Ultimately, the pilot selected the right main fuel tank and the engine continued to operate at partial power for the remainder of the flight.
Air traffic control initially provided radar vectors toward Freeman Municipal Airport (SER), located near Seymour, Indiana; however, the pilot subsequently determined that the airplane did not have enough altitude to reach the airport and made a forced landing to the southbound lanes of Interstate Highway I65, near mile marker 42. He reported that the airplane touched-down at about 80 knots indicated airspeed with the flaps fully extended. Shortly after touchdown, the pilot had to maneuver the airplane to avoid another vehicle and it subsequently entered the grass median separating the northbound and southbound lanes. The pilot reported that the airplane's left wing impacted a grass embankment after the airplane traversed into the median. The pilot reported that, following the accident, he moved the mixture control to the idle-cutoff position before he evacuated the airplane.
The airplane was subsequently recovered from the interstate median to a hangar located at SER. A postaccident inspection, completed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airworthiness Inspector, revealed substantial damage to the airplane's left wing aft spar. Further inspection established that there was ample fuel remaining within each main wing fuel tank. According to the airplane's fuel quantity indicators, the right main tank was about 3/4 full (about 30 gallons) and the left main tank was about 1/4 full. The pilot, under the supervision of the FAA inspector, drained 9 gallons of fuel from the left main fuel tank. A majority of the collected fuel was returned to the left main fuel tank. The left and right wingtip tanks contained about 1 gallon of fuel each and was considered residual fuel. Both auxiliary fuel pumps functioned normally when electrical power was applied.
An operational engine test run was completed by the pilot under the direct supervision of the FAA Airworthiness Inspector. The engine was run on the airplane without any modifications to the airframe fuel system and using the remaining fuel in the main tanks (no fuel was added). The FAA inspector reported that the engine experienced a normal start and warm-up. The pilot noted that the engine idle speed decreased 100-200 rpm during the engine warm-up and that the engine ran rough for the first few minutes as the engine warmed-up; however, at no point did the engine run stop running. The FAA inspector reported there were no engine anomalies during a pretakeoff engine run-up, which included a magneto functional check and cycling of the propeller.
The pilot indicated that the engine performed within its normal operating parameters throughout the engine test run. The only anomaly the pilot noted was a slight engine hesitation as he increased engine speed toward maximum static rpm; however, the engine subsequently demonstrated the ability to produce maximum static rpm. Additionally, while at a cruise engine power setting, there was no interruption to engine operation while the pilot alternated between the right and left main fuel tanks. To simulate an inadvertent fuel selector position during cruise flight, the fuel selector handle was placed between the right and left main fuel tank positions with the engine operating at a typical cruise power setting. Normal engine operation continued for about 30 seconds before there was a noticeable loss of engine power and an associated engine backfire from fuel starvation. The fuel selector was immediately repositioned to the right main fuel tank and normal engine operation was reestablished without any manipulation of the engine controls and/or activation of an auxiliary fuel boost pump. Ultimately, the operational test run did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the Continental model TSIO-520-DB7B engine.
According to the airplane manufacturer, a turbo-charged engine, a separate low-boost auxiliary fuel pump, and wingtip fuel tanks were installed, in conformance with supplemental type certificates, at the factory during the original manufacture of the airplane. When equipped with a turbo-charged engine, the airplane is often referred as a Beech model V35TC. The original auxiliary fuel pump was designated as the "high-boost" when the low-boost auxiliary fuel pump was installed. The accident airplane was placarded against takeoffs with less than 13 gallons of fuel in each main tank; however, according to the airframe manufacturer, there is no prohibition against using all useable fuel from a main tank during the other phases of flight. The placarded fuel requirement for takeoff is to prevent a fuel tank outlet from unporting due to excessive fuel migration and sloshing that can be experienced during the takeoff phase.
The Beech model V35TC Owner's Manual states that when there is a loss of engine power, the auxiliary fuel pump should be used momentarily until engine power is regained. However, if engine operation does not improve within a few moments, the auxiliary fuel pump should be turned off. The airplane flight manual supplement associated with the turbo-charged engine installation stipulates that if a fuel tank becomes fully depleted, the low-boost auxiliary fuel pump should be turned on while changing fuel tanks; however, the auxiliary fuel pump should be turned off once engine restarts. Additionally, the flight manual supplement cautions that operating with the high-boost auxiliary fuel pump turned on, with a functioning engine-driven fuel pump, can produce an over-rich fuel mixture and a partial or total loss of engine power.
http://registry.faa.gov/N2714T
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 27, 2016 in Seymour, IN
Aircraft: BEECH V35, registration: N2714T
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On February 27, 2016, about 1125 eastern standard time, a Beech model V35 single-engine airplane, N2714T, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on Interstate I65, near Seymour, Indiana. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed for the personal flight that departed Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport (UMP), Indianapolis, Indiana, about 1045, with the intended destination of Bowman Field Airport (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky.
The pilot reported that the airplane had departed with about 40 gallons of fuel for the planned 46 minute flight. He estimated that, before departure, the right and left main fuel tanks contained about 30 gallons and 10 gallons, respectively. Both outboard tip tanks only contained residual fuel. After departure, the flight continued toward the planned destination and received visual flight rules (VFR) flight following from air traffic control (ATC). The pilot reported that he switched from the right main fuel tank to the left main fuel tank after reaching the final cruise altitude of 5,500 feet mean sea level (msl). After drawing fuel from the left main fuel tank for about 10 minutes, he switched back to the right main fuel tank as he prepared for his initial descent to the destination airport.
The pilot reported that the engine began to run roughly after operating on the right main fuel tank for about 3 minutes. He switched back to the left main fuel tank, increased the mixture control to full rich, and selected the high-boost fuel pump setting. The engine continued to run roughly with occasional power surges. Additionally, the pilot reported that the engine would occasionally backfire, which was followed by a corresponding surge in engine power. The pilot then selected the low-boost fuel pump setting and changed back to the right main fuel tank (which contained significantly more fuel than the left main fuel tank). He reported that engine operation briefly improved, over a 15-20 second period, before it resumed producing partial power with occasional power surges.
Air traffic control initially provided radar vectors toward Freeman Municipal Airport (SER), located near Seymour, Indiana; however, the pilot subsequently determined that the airplane did not have enough altitude to reach the airport and made a forced landing to the southbound lanes of Interstate I65, near mile marker 42. He reported that the airplane touched-down at about 80 knots indicated airspeed with the flaps fully extended. Shortly after touchdown, the pilot had to maneuver the airplane to avoid vehicular traffic and it subsequently entered the grass median separating the northbound and southbound lanes. The pilot reported that the airplane's left wing impacted a grass embankment after the airplane traversed into the median. The pilot reported that, following the accident, he moved the fuel selector handle to the OFF position before he evacuated the airplane.
The airplane was subsequently recovered from the interstate median to a hangar located at SER. A postaccident inspection of the airplane, completed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airworthiness Inspector, revealed substantial damage to the left wing's aft spar. An operational engine test run was completed by the accident pilot under the direct supervision of the FAA inspector. The FAA inspector reported that the engine experienced a normal start and warm-up. No engine anomalies were noted during a pretakeoff engine run-up, which included a magneto functional check and cycling of the propeller. The accident pilot, who had manipulated the engine controls during the operational test run, indicated that the engine had run within its normal operating parameters. The only anomaly the pilot noted was a slight engine hesitation as he increased engine speed toward maximum static RPM; however, the engine subsequently demonstrated the ability to produce maximum static RPM. Additionally, while at a cruise engine power setting, there was no interruption to engine operation while the pilot alternated between the right and left main fuel tanks. To simulate an inadvertent fuel selector position during cruise flight, the fuel selector handle was placed between the right and left main fuel tank positions while the engine was operating at a typical cruise power setting. Normal engine operation continued for about 30 seconds before there was a noticeable loss of engine power and an associated engine backfire. The fuel selector was immediately repositioned to the right main fuel tank and normal engine operation was reestablished without any pilot manipulation of the engine controls and/or activation of the fuel boost pump. Ultimately, the operational test run did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the Continental model TSIO-520-DB7B engine.
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Indianapolis FSDO-11
JACKSON COUNTY, Ind. (February 27, 2016) – A pilot from Carmel made an emergency landing on I-65 in southeastern Indiana Saturday morning.
The emergency landing happened near the 42 mile marker between Seymour and Crothersville, Indiana just after 11:30 a.m.
The initial investigation determined that a Beech V35 Bonanza being piloted by Aaron Wright, 44, of Carmel, was flying from Carmel to Louisville, Kentucky when the plane began experiencing mechanical difficulty. Wright turned the plane around in an attempt to make it to the Seymour airport. Upon realizing the plane would not make it back to the airport, Wright attempted to land the plane on the southbound lanes of I-65.
The plane made a successful landing before entering the median and coming to a stop. The plane sustained damage upon coming to stop in the median. Neither Wright nor his wife Jean Wright or thirteen-year-old son sustained any injuries in the incident
Both directions of I-65 were slow for approximately three hours while the incident was investigated.
Story, video and photo gallery: http://fox59.com
JACKSON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — A small plane made an emergency landing on I-65 in Jackson County Saturday morning.
The landing happened around 11:30 a.m. on I-65 between Seymour and Crothersville, according to Indiana State Police.
ISP said a Beech V35 Bonanza flown by Aaron Y. Wright, 44, of Carmel had mechanical issues on its way from Carmel to Louisville, Kentucky.
Wright attempted to fly to the Freeman Municipal Airport, but he realized the plane wouldn’t make it all the way.
He managed to land on the southbound lanes of I-65 before the plane came to a stop in the median. Wright and his two passengers — his wife and 13-year-old son — were not injured. No one on the ground was hurt.
The plane was damaged as it hit the media.
I-65 was slow in the area for about three hours while authorities investigated. The northbound lanes were shut down for an hour as the plane was removed.
Original article can be found here: http://wishtv.com
No comments:
Post a Comment