Accident Overview
On October 2, 2021, about 1225 central daylight time, a Beech 23 airplane, N6996Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near the Lamesa Municipal Airport (LUV) in Lamesa, Texas. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was operating as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pre-Accident Events
The pilot reported that the airplane had recently undergone an annual inspection, which included replacement of the carburetor. She stated that she returned to the maintenance facility multiple times because requested work had not been completed or noted discrepancies had not been repaired. On the day of the accident, she planned to perform three takeoffs and landings before departing to her home airport. During the preflight inspection, the only discrepancy noted was a non-working rotating beacon. Both fuel tanks were verified as full. Engine start, taxi, and run-up were normal, though she observed that idle rpm and full throttle rpm were slightly lower than before the carburetor replacement.
Accident Sequence
The pilot took off from runway 34 and remained in the traffic pattern, concluding with a touchdown before mid-field. She did not use carburetor heat during the approach, as the temperature was above 75°F and humidity low. After touchdown, she raised the flaps and applied engine power for a touch-and-go. As the airplane reached the departure end of the runway on the ensuing takeoff, engine power suddenly reduced to idle. Due to low altitude, the pilot did not attempt to turn and landed in a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its right wing, engine mount, and forward fuselage.
Postaccident Examination
Examination revealed that the fuel selector valve was not in a detent and was positioned between the left and off positions. The fuel selector handle had a long end designed to reside between two spring-loaded gates to prevent inadvertent selection of the off position during normal operation; the design required depressing one gate to rotate the handle to off. The handle was found outside the gated area. The right-wing fuel tank was full, and the left-wing fuel tank was empty.
A cotter pin was missing from the nut and bolt securing the throttle cable to the carburetor throttle arm, but the nut and bolt remained in proper position and finger-tight, not preventing normal throttle operation. No other mechanical discrepancies were found.
Pilot and Inspector Statements
In her statement, the pilot noted that the fuel selector handle was attached 180 degrees off. She stated that she, previous owners, and instructors had always used the long end of the handle as an indicator of fuel selector position. According to the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the handle was properly installed, but the pilot believed the long end indicated the selected position. The handle had a white triangular arrow on the end opposite the long end, intended to indicate the selected position; the remainder was red. The paint on the handle was faded and worn, making the triangular pointer difficult to discern.
Environmental Conditions
At the time of the accident, the recorded temperature and dewpoint at the accident airport were 22°C (72°F) and 13°C (55°F), respectively, within the range of susceptibility for serious icing at glide power settings.