Siai-Marchetti F.260 N517P

Summary

On 4 September 2009 at about 17:30 local time, a Siai-Marchetti F.260 registered N517P, operated by Semonian Gary A, was involved in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia, 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

4 September 2009 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Cobb County (RYY)

Coordinates

34.0131, -84.5986

Aircraft

Siai-Marchetti F.260

Registration

N517P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Semonian Gary A

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlanta → Atlanta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA516

2 people had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power due to a fuel system air leak as a result of a deteriorated O-ring seal in the fuel shut-off cock. Contributing to the accident was the exceedance of the suggested overhaul schedule for the fuel shut-off cock.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, the preflight, engine run-up, taxi, and takeoff from runway 9 were all normal. At 500 feet above ground level (agl) the engine lost power and the pilot maneuvered the airplane for a downwind landing on runway 27. The pilot confirmed the positions of the throttle, propeller, fuel pump, and fuel selector controls and the engine regained power temporarily. About 300 feet agl, the engine again lost power and the pilot elected to land in an off-airport field with the gear up due to the extension time required for the airplane’s landing gear system. During a postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, operation of the airframe boost pumps revealed that the pumps would not draw fuel. Closer examination of the fuel selector valve and fuel shut-off cock revealed staining consistent with fuel leakage. When positive pressure was applied to the fuel tanks, fuel leaked around the shaft of the fuel shut-off cock located under the cockpit instrument panel area. Pressure was removed from the tanks, the fuel shut-off cock was sealed with a rag, and the boost pumps were then able to draw fuel when power was applied. Removal of the rag created an air leak, and the boost pumps would not draw fuel. The fuel selector valve and the fuel shut-off cock were then removed, disassembled, and examined under the supervision of the FAA inspector. Examination revealed that the interior O-ring seals for the selector shafts were loose on both. Another owner of the same make and model airplane provided a written account of a nearly identical scenario, which was resolved with the replacement of the O-ring seals. The manufacturer's Special Inspection List outlined "overhaul/replacement" of the fuel shut-off cock every 5 years or 1,500 flight hours, whichever occurred first. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued 1,592 total aircraft hours. Seven months, and 8 aircraft hours had elapsed since the airplane's most recent annual inspection. According to the FAA inspector, 14 CFR Part 43, Appendix D, listed the minimum inspection requirements for the completion of an annual inspection, that manufacturer's recommended overhaul schedules were recommended and not mandatory, and that the overall responsibility for the airworthiness of the airplane fell to the owner/operator.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.