On November 20, 1986, a Cessna 337 (registration N879SA) was involved in an aviation accident near New Orleans, LA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Both engines failed due to fuel starvation caused by the inability to access fuel contained in the auxiliary tanks during the missed approach. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Both engines failed during a missed approach following an instrument approach due to fuel starvation, with residual fuel trapped in auxiliary tanks.
What happened
The aircraft was conducting an instrument approach when the pilot initiated a missed approach procedure. During this phase of flight, both engines experienced a complete loss of power. The failure occurred because the engine-driven fuel pumps could not draw fuel from the system.
The investigation
Post-accident examination revealed that approximately six gallons of fuel remained in the auxiliary tanks at the time of the incident. However, no fuel was present in the lines between the fuel selector valves and the engines. This indicated that the fuel supply to the engines was interrupted despite the presence of usable fuel in the aircraft's storage.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the accident was fuel starvation. The configuration of the fuel system prevented the remaining fuel in the auxiliary tanks from reaching the engines during the critical phase of the missed approach. This resulted in a total loss of power from both engines.
Probable cause
Both engines failed due to fuel starvation caused by the inability to access fuel contained in the auxiliary tanks during the missed approach.