On January 28, 1996, a Beech 77 (registration N6706C) was involved in an aviation accident near Grand Prairie, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: a loss of power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
While approaching destination, pilot detected fuel odor, turned on boost pump, then engine lost power. After forced landing in lake, engine run found no anomalies.
Incident Details
While nearing the destination airport, the pilot turned on the fuel boost pump and immediately detected a strong odor of fuel. Shortly thereafter, the engine began to lose power. The pilot turned off the fuel boost pump and applied carburetor heat, but the engine continued to lose power. Full throttle was applied, yet the engine produced only 600 to 700 RPM. Concerned about a possible in-flight fire, the pilot elected to execute a forced landing to Joe Pool Lake.
Post-Recovery Inspection
After the airplane was recovered from the lake, a successful engine run was accomplished. No anomalies were found with either the carburetor or associated fuel system components.