Temco D-16A N124N accident near Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Probable cause

A total loss of left engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the failure of the engine's electric fuel pump end cap gasket, which allowed air to be drawn into the fuel system.

NTSB analysis

The airplane had just undergone its annual maintenance inspection. The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight in the twin-engine airplane about 600 feet above ground level when the left engine stopped producing power. He completed the shutdown checklist for the left engine and feathered the propeller. He applied full power to the right engine, but the airplane continued to lose altitude. He executed a forced landing to a large wooded area away from houses. Numerous witnesses reported that they heard and/or saw the airplane as it flew overhead at a low altitude. All reported hearing a loud engine noise without any sputtering. One witness reported that the left propeller was not turning. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the electric fuel pump found in the left engine nacelle exhibited blue staining on the top surface of the pump. The blue staining was consistent with a fuel leak. The test of the electric fuel pump revealed that the end cap gasket had failed, which allowed air to be drawn into the system by both the electric and engine-driven fuel pumps, thus starving the engine of fuel.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN10LA004 for the full record.