Beechcraft MUSKETEER 23 N2372L

Summary

On 31 August 1997 at about 00:05 local time, a Beechcraft MUSKETEER 23 registered N2372L was involved in an accident near Wauseon, Ohio, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 August 1997 at 00:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Wauseon, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Fulton County (USE)

Coordinates

41.5507, -84.1404

Aircraft

Beechcraft MUSKETEER 23

Registration

N2372L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD97LA116

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's fuel mismanagement by his failure to switch fuel tank positions, which resulted in the fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The annual inspection was completed on the day of the accident, which included the installation of an overhauled engine. The pilot/co-owner hired a flight instructor for the first flight. Break in instructions for the engine were to run it for 2 hours at full throttle and mixture full rich. During takeoff the engine only produced 2,100 rpm's and the takeoff roll used 3,000 feet of the 3,800 foot runway. After flying 1 hour, the pilot landed and called the mechanic about the engine. The pilot was told that 'the timing may be off, or that the engine may still be a little tight.' The pilot then decided to fly again with the other co-owner. After another hour of flying, and during the turn to final, the engine quit. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field short of the runway. After the accident, a witness turned the fuel selector from the left tank to the off position. Only unusable fuel was found in the left wing tank, and the right wing tank was about 1/2 to 3/4 of full. Additionally, no fuel was found in the lines to the carburetor, and only residual fuel was in the engine driven fuel pump. The pilot's total flight experience was 84 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.