Accident Overview
On March 22, 2000, at Columbia Downtown Airport, an airplane sustained an engine stoppage as it approached the abeam position for its first landing. The pilot in command (PIC) had radioed his intention to remain in the traffic pattern. The airplane subsequently collided with terrain. No evidence of onboard fuel was found at the crash site.
Pre-Accident Events
According to the PIC, substantiated by the widow of the passenger/pilot, the airplane's fuel tanks were topped off at Orangeburg Municipal Airport, Orangeburg, South Carolina, on March 19, 2000. The PIC stated that he flew directly home to Columbia Downtown Airport, parked, and tied down, with a total fuel burn time of about 30 minutes.
Post-Accident Examination
The engine underwent a factory test cell run, which was unsatisfactory until factory fuel injector nozzles were substituted. After the substitution, the engine met factory specifications. Subsequent disassembly examination of the fuel system components revealed contamination in the fuel injector servo.
Additionally, the fuel quantity indication system underwent factory testing and revealed that the right tank system was operating erratically, which appeared to be a precrash condition.