Beechcraft D17S N217SD

Summary

On 24 July 1999 at about 17:00 local time, a Beechcraft D17S registered N217SD, operated by Todd J. Therp, was involved in an accident near Arco, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 July 1999 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Arco, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Arco-Butte County (AOC)

Coordinates

43.6500, -113.2808

Aircraft

Beechcraft D17S

Registration

N217SD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Todd J. Therp

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA99LA127

Nobody was injured.

Fuel starvation which resulted in a loss of power. The pilot's improper management of fuel was a factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had just completed a flyby at a local air show and was preparing to land. While on final approach to runway 24, the pilot crabbed the aircraft to compensate for a cross wind. During the crab, the aircraft's engine began to run rough and eventually quit. The fuel quantity gauge for the main fuel tank (the selected fuel tank) read one-quarter full. The pilot switched from the main fuel tank to the full auxiliary tank and cycled the primer, but was unable to restart the engine. The aircraft touched down on the edge of a gravel pit, approximately 200 feet short of the runway and nosed over. The pilot estimated that the aircraft's main fuel tank contained approximately one gallon of fuel at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft at the time of the accident. There was no evidence to indicate a preexisting fuel leak.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.