Accident Overview
On May 14, 2016, about 1100 Pacific daylight time, a Beechcraft C23 "Sundowner" airplane, N3724Y, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The accident occurred in an orange orchard near Delano, California. The student pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was owned by a private individual and operated by the student pilot as a personal, cross-country flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Flight Sequence
The student pilot stated that he departed Bakersfield Municipal Airport (L45), Bakersfield, California, and flew to the west side of the valley practicing maneuvers before flying to Porterville Airport (PTV), Porterville, California, for a quick stop. He then departed PTV, destined for Shafter Airport – Minter Field (MIT), Shafter, California. While en route in the vicinity of Delano, the engine began to sputter. The pilot switched the fuel selector from the right tank position to the left tank position. Shortly after switching fuel tanks, the engine lost total power, and the pilot could not restart it. He initiated a forced landing to an orange orchard, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Fuel Considerations
The pilot stated that he had filled the fuel tanks to the filler tabs, which equates to 37.4 gallons of usable fuel. Review of performance information for the make and model airplane revealed that, based on the reported fuel onboard at the beginning of the day, the airplane would have used about 35.4 gallons of fuel at the time of the accident. First responders to the accident scene reported that there was no fuel leaking from the airplane, and no fuel was observed in the fuel tanks.
Pilot Statement
In a later telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that he had run the right fuel tank out of fuel and could not get the engine primed before the forced landing occurred.