History of Flight
On April 27, 2014, about 1453 central daylight time, a Bellanca Super Viking 17-30A, N9759E, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Avenger Field Airport (SWW), Sweetwater, Texas. The airplane had departed from Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV), Shreveport, Louisiana, about 1140. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot received minor injuries and the passenger was fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the Nolan County Sheriff's officer who responded, the pilot stated he had run out of fuel. The pilot explained the airplane had three fuel tanks and when he attempted to switch tanks, the engine stalled and could not be restarted. The pilot also noted the flight was windy and rough.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, manufactured in 1974, was a 4-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane, serial number 75-30762, powered by a Continental Motors IO-520-K1B engine rated at 300 horsepower, driving a metal, 3-blade McCauley D3A34C401-C constant-speed propeller. The most recent annual inspection was completed on July 1, 2013, at a Hobbs time of 4,081.39 hours. The aircraft total time at the accident was unknown.
The airplane was equipped with seven fuel tanks: three in each wing and one auxiliary in the fuselage. The wing tanks held a total of 34 gallons, with 30 gallons useable. The auxiliary tank held 15 gallons.
Wreckage and Impact
The main wreckage was located at N32°30.572' W100°24.321 in a ravine, resting inverted with the nose at the bottom and the tail rising out. Flight control continuity was verified. The engine remained partially attached with all four mount legs broken. The exhaust system was crushed upward. The propeller remained attached; two blades were bent aft, and the third was relatively straight with a slight bend.
Fuel system inspection revealed no fuel in the lines except for the metered pressure gauge line. Approximately 4 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel was drained from the left, right, and auxiliary tanks. No fuel spillage or blighting was present. The landing gear was stowed and the gear switch was in the UP position. Cockpit examination showed the fuel mixture control in rich, throttle ¼ from full, fuel selector in LEFT position, master switch ON, ignition OFF, fuel pump OFF, flaps at zero, autopilot ON, and ELT ARMED. No evidence of mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation was found.
Additional Information
The pilot reported all tanks were topped off in SHV. He typically used only one wing's tanks for the trip but expected higher fuel consumption due to headwinds. He checked winds at 6,000 and 9,000 feet: 30 and 35 knots from 200°, respectively. He had never flown the route in such a headwind. His typical fuel management: auxiliary tank lasting 45 minutes to an hour, wing tanks about 2.5 hours each, kept selected for about 2 hours. He believed the airplane would fly safely for 4 hours and 45 minutes with reserve.
The Bellanca Viking 300A Pilot Operating Handbook states the auxiliary fuel pump has OFF, LOW, and PRIME positions; PRIME should be used only for starting or restoring lost fuel flow. The Airplane Flight Manual states: if a tank is run dry, switch to a tank with ample fuel and hold the boost pump on PRIME; the auxiliary pump must be on to ensure fuel flow, and an air restart should occur in less than 10 seconds. The pilot did not use the fuel boost pump during his attempted restart, stating he did not need it based on past experience and thought it might flood the engine.
The passenger, the pilot's wife, typically wore only the lap belt and was reclined sleeping with only the lap belt fastened when on final approach; the pilot woke her but she remained lying down.
GPS Data
A Garmin GPSMAP 396 unit recovered from the wreckage showed the airplane flew from SHV to the accident location in 3 hours 12 minutes over 361.4 nautical miles. The flight departed SHV around 11:40, climbed to about 8,300 feet, and cruised west-southwest with ground speeds varying 100-165 knots. Descent began around 14:36 from about 7,000 feet. The last data point at 14:53:00 showed the aircraft at 2,316 feet, 53 knots, about 1.40 nautical miles northwest of Runway 22 threshold.
Fuel Selector Examination
The fuel selector unit was examined at the NTSB Materials Laboratory. The detent balls seated securely in each detent position. Wear was observed in the cadmium plating between detent positions, but no indication of gross material spalling, galling, or corrosion was noted.