Hispano Aviacion HA-200 SAETA N232DS

Summary

On 26 August 2002 at about 02:44 local time, a Hispano Aviacion HA-200 SAETA registered N232DS was involved in an accident near Bakersfield, California, United States. 2 people were 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

26 August 2002 at 02:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Bakersfield, California, United States

Nearest airport

Rio Bravo (L91)

Coordinates

35.6833, -118.5997

Aircraft

Hispano Aviacion HA-200 SAETA

Registration

N232DS

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minden → Los Angeles

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

LAX02LA264

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's improper fuel system management, which lead to fuel starvation, and a loss of engine power. A factor in the accident was the pilot's decision to continue on the second leg of the flight with the gear in the extended position, which increased the fuel consumption and reduced the aircraft's available range.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The ex-military jet trainer experienced a dual engine flame out during cruise flight and it collided with multiple obstacles during an attempted forced landing to a closed airport. The airplane had not flown for 5 years until a new owner bought it. After an annual inspection, the airplane was to be flown from Lewiston, Idaho, to Los Angeles, California, in two legs. The first leg from Lewiston to Minden, Nevada, used 352 gallons of fuel (full fuel is 367 gallons) and when the airplane arrived, the hydraulic gear extension system malfunctioned and the gear was extended using the emergency blow down system. The pilot then decided to continue on the second leg with the gear locked in the down position. Ninety minutes into the second leg the pilot became concerned about the amount of fuel remaining and was diverting to Bakersfield when both engines flamed out. The pilot was attempting a dead stick landing at a closed airport when the right wing struck the ground and then the left wing struck a telephone pole. First responders noted about 80 gallons of fuel had spilled on the ground from the separated left tip tank. No fuel was found in the right tip tank or either of the fuselage tanks. The fuel system consists of two tip tanks; one aft fuselage tank, and a forward fuselage tank. The tip tanks, which feed only into the aft fuselage tank, are used by porting engine bleed air to the tanks through a pneumatic switch in the cockpit. The switch has positions for LEFT, RIGHT, BOTH and OFF. The forward and aft fuselage tanks are fed to the engines by conventional boost pumps. The proper fuel tank usage sequence is to select the aft fuselage tank while selecting and pressurizing both tip tanks, which then replenish the aft fuselage tank. When the fuel from the both tip tanks and the aft fuselage tank is used, then the forward fuselage tank is selected. Without at least one engine operating, bleed air is not available to pressurize the tip tanks to use any fuel remaining there. No discrepancies were found during an examination of the airframe, engines, or the fuel system components, including the tip tank pressurization system, the boost pumps, or selector valves/switches. The passenger, who holds pilot and A & P certificates stated that the pilot was individually selecting the tip tanks (left or right) during flight and did not use the BOTH position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.