On February 25, 2002, a Beechcraft C23 (registration N2192W) operated by Sky Safety was involved in an aviation accident near Wilmington, DE. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion resulting from the fuel selector valve being positioned to an empty tank. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A flight instructor and private pilot experienced an engine power loss while on final approach, resulting in an emergency landing on an embankment.
What happened
A flight instructor and a private pilot were conducting a 1.9-hour instructional flight when they began their return to their home airport. During the final approach phase of the flight, the engine stopped producing power. The flight instructor assumed control of the Beechcraft Sundowner C23 and performed an emergency landing on an embankment located short of the runway. There were no reported injuries or fatalities.
The investigation
Upon arrival at the scene, a police officer observed that the left fuel tank was empty. The fuel selector valve was found positioned to the left tank. Investigators noted that the left tank had not been breached and showed no signs of leakage. Conversely, fuel was present in the right fuel tank. When the fuel selector valve was moved to the right tank position, fuel flowed freely from the fuel strainer fuel line. A total of 18 gallons of fuel were drained from the right fuel tank during the inspection. The investigation confirmed that there were no mechanical deficiencies found within the engine or the fuel system.
Findings
The left fuel tank was empty at the time of the accident.
The fuel selector valve was set to the left tank.
Fuel exhaustion occurred because the selector was not positioned to the tank containing available fuel.
Probable cause
The engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion resulting from the fuel selector valve being positioned to an empty tank.