Fuel Exhaustion & Starvation · NTSB CEN10FA364
BEECH F33A — Perry, KS
| Date | July 1, 2010 |
| Location | Perry, KS |
| Aircraft | BEECH F33A |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Emergency descent Loss of control in flight |
| Pilot age | 56 |
| Pilot total time | 3,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 1,500 hrs |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-Fuel pumps-Failure - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of checklist-Pilot - F
What happened
The pilot reported a loss of engine power to an air traffic controller and was then provided vectors to an airport located 10 miles south of the airplane's position. The radar track illustrated the airplane reversed course back to the east and then to the south towards the airport. According to a witness in the area, the airplane was extremely low and started to turn or rotate when the nose dropped and he lost sight of the airplane; the airplane impacted an open field in a nose low attitude. Recorded engine data revealed that the fuel flow dropped to zero and cylinder head temperature and rpm decreased. An examination of the airframe and its related systems revealed no anomalies. An examination of the engine revealed that the engine driven fuel pump was seized and could not be rotated by hand. Further examination revealed that foreign particles in the bearing resulted in the seizure of the fuel pump. The source of the foreign particles was not determined. The emergency procedures checklist for a loss of engine power included the activation of the auxiliary fuel pump. The switch was in the off position at the accident site. An examination of the auxiliary fuel pump revealed no anomalies.