Beech C24R N6222Q accident near Titusville, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to secure the fuel strainer drain during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, while conducting a preflight inspection, he looked inside the wing fuel tanks and estimated that there was about 27 gallons of fuel. He then departed on a local flight to test the avionics and autopilot system. While returning to the airport after an approximate 1-hour flight, the engine experienced a total loss of power, and the pilot attempted a forced landing on the roof of a building. The airplane crashed through the roof, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and flight control surfaces.

No visible fuel or fuel odor was noted at the accident site. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both fuel tanks had been breached and were void of fuel. The fuel strainer sump, which sits forward of the firewall below the fuselage, was found in the open-and-locked position. When the strainer valve's tangs were pushed up and rotated counter-clockwise, the sump remained in the open-and-locked position. The sump sprang back to the closed position when the tangs were pushed up and released. Postaccident fuel consumption calculations and fuel strainer drain testing revealed that the airplane would have burned through and lost about 28 gallons of fuel during the approximate 1-hour flight with the strainer drain not properly secured.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14LA336 for the full record.