NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On June 24, 1996, about 1237 eastern daylight time, a Beech P35, N1527S, registered to a private owner, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91, personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, one passenger was seriously injured, and one passenger received minor injuries.

On June 21, 1996, the airplane was refueled, at the Asheville Jet Center, Asheville, North Carolina, with 39.8 gallons of 100 low lead fuel. According to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) report and transcripts, the flight departed on June, 24, 1996, at 0935. The right front seat passenger stated, the pilot had completed a pre-flight inspection of the airplane, prior to the occupants boarding, including checking the fuel and draining the fuel tanks.

According to the ATC transcript of communications, the pilot of N1527S, made initial contact with the local controller, Whitted Airport Control Tower at 1233:03, at a location about 5 miles north of the airport. The pilot was cleared for a straight in approach to runway 18, and at 1234:52, was cleared to land.

At 1236:00, the pilot radioed the tower controller that he had "lost power." The controller again gave the pilot landing clearance, and the wind direction. At 1236:12, the pilot said, "...lost power I don't know if I can make the runway."

The tower controller watched the airplane turn to the left, enter a nose high attitude, and impact the water nose and left wing low. The airplane sank, and two of the three occupants exited the airplane out the right cabin door.

The front seat passenger stated in reference to the weather conditions, that while they were on the approach at the destination airport, she observed thunderstorm "cells which caused no problems." According to the passenger the pilot told them, "...not to talk so he could communicate with the tower...[and then] very calmly said we had lost power." She remembered that the pilot "[was] visually checking the dials," and was attempting to restart the engine. He then stated to the passengers that "we may not reach the runway." Two or 3 seconds later the pilot said, "we're not...we're going in."

The accident occurred during the hours of daylight approximately 27 degrees, 46 minutes north, and 82 degrees, 37 minutes west.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

Information on the pilot is contained in this report on page 3, under First Pilot Information. The pilot's personal logbook containing his flight hours was not found.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. Meteorological information is contained in this report on page 3, under Weather Information.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot, on June 26, 1996, at the Medical Examiner's Office, District #17, Largo, Florida, by Dr. Marie H. Hansen.

Toxicological tests were conducted at the Federal Aviation Administration, Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and revealed, "0.016 ug/ml Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid (Marihuana) detected in Urine...76.400 (ug/ml, ug/g) Salicylate detected in Urine."

Toxicological tests conducted at the Medical Examiner's Office, District #17, Largo, Florida, revealed, "Ethanol: 0.03 gm/dl, Blood (IVC)...Hb-Carbon: Less than 10% Saturation, Blood (IVC)...Urine Screen (Trinders) was POSITIVE for salicylate...Salioylate: none detected, Blood (IVC); Detection limit: 0.1 mg/L."

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane impacted in about 10 feet of water, 2,200 feet north of the approach threshold, for runway 18, and about 250 feet east of the extended runway center line. Divers found the wreckage heading in a northerly direction.

The wreckage was recovered from the water, and moved to a hanger at Whitted Airport for examination. The windshield was found broken and much of it was missing. The cabin door was open, and was attached to the airframe by the lower hinge. The baggage door was found open. The single control arm assembly, was found with the control yoke to the left. The landing gear was in the down position. Control continuity was established to all the flight controls. The engine, propeller, and engine cowling were canted down, about 15 degrees to the right. The nose of the fuselage was crushed, and the upper cowling doors were missing. The seats were attached to their respective seat track slide rails. The pilot and passenger restraint belts were not damaged. There were no shoulder harnesses installed in the airplane.

An examination of the airplane's fuel tanks revealed about 23 gallons of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank. Less than 1/2 ounce of water was found on the bottom of the tank, with the use of water finding paste. Water was drained from the right fuel tank, and no fuel was present. The fuel selector was found selected to the right tank, and the fuel boost pump switch was found broken. A determination of the switch's position could not be determined. There were no breaches found throughout the fuel system. Examination of the fuel selector revealed that it was free to move through all positions. The fuel supply lines were found clear and unobstructed. Overall visual examination of the engine compartment and airframe did not reveal any evidence of fuel stains or fuel leakage.

The salvage crew, that retrieved the airplane from the water, reported seeing bubbles, and fuel leaking from the airplane as it was resting on the bottom of the bay, but there was no determination made were the fuel was coming from, and there was no estimate made on how much fuel may have been leaking.

An examination of the engine revealed that the engine had continuity to all rotating parts. Thumb compression was observed on all cylinders. There was no attempt to determine if the magnetos would spark, because of water in both magnetos. The engine was removed from the airframe, in order to facilitate an engine test run.

TEST AND RESERCH

An engine test run was conducted on June 26, 1996, at the facilities of Certified Engines Inc., Opa Locka, Florida.

The starter adapter was found broken and had to be replaced with a unit supplied by Certified Engines Inc. About 10 gallons of water was drained from the engine. The engine fuel pump was removed from the engine, broken fittings were replaced, and the fuel pump was reinstalled on the engine. The airframe fuel pump was bench tested with the use of battery power, and pumped fuel when power was applied. The engine was serviced with oil, and rotated. The magnetos were blown dry with compressed air. No spark was produced from either magneto. The magnetos were removed from the engine, flushed with electrical contact cleaner, and reinstalled back on the engine.

The engine was started, and was run up to power. The engine was allowed to warm up, and the magnetos were checked, without any discrepancies noted. The engine ran for about 10 minutes, and the oil pressure reached a maximum of 50 PSI. The engine test run was completed with all the parts that were on the engine at the time of the accident, except for the starter adapter, and no discrepancies were found. The fuel selector was disassembled, no leaks or discrepancies were observed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The fuel flow and fuel burn rates were calculated using Beech's performance charts, and known information. The P35, had a total fuel capacity of 80 gallons, of which 74 gallons were usable fuel, stored in two fuel tanks, of 37 gallons usable fuel each. A direct flight from the airport in Asheville, North Carolina to St. Petersburg, Florida, was 540 sm. Twenty-three gallons of fuel were drained from the left tank, after the airplane was removed from the crash site, resulting in about 51 gallons of fuel used on this flight. The flight from North Carolina to Florida was 3 hours 2 minutes (3.1) in duration. Using the formula, fuel rate [gals]= total gallons [51], divided by time [3.1], equals a fuel flow of 16.45 gallons per hour. At a fuel flow rate of 16.45 gallons per hour, the total fuel used for the 3 hour 2 minute flight was 50.99 gallons, from North Carolina, to the crash site. According to the Beech P35, Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), the airplane would have used 1.5 gallons of fuel for taxi, run up and takeoff. An additional 2.84 gallons would have been used during a 5-minute climb to 6,000 feet.

The aircraft wreckage was released to Mr. Burton N. Rickey, the airplane's owner, on June 26, 1996. The engine was released to Mr. Craig T. Walker, representing the owner's insurance company, on June 27, 1996.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's improper procedure by not placing the fuel selector on the tank with the most fuel.