Beech 23 N2376L accident near Jacksonville, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper inflight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation while on final approach to land, and the subsequent hard landing, which resulted in separation of the airplane’s landing gear.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to fly in the traffic pattern to see if the engine was leaking oil, as he had recently observed trace amounts of oil in the cowling. After completing a normal preflight inspection and an engine run-up the pilot took off and completed one traffic pattern circuit overflying the runway. He climbed back to traffic pattern altitude and made an approach to the runway with the intent to land. The pilot reported that the airplane seemed slow as he approached the runway numbers, so he increased the throttle; however, the engine rpm decreased to near idle. He continued to report that, about 20 ft above ground level, the airplane dropped to the runway and landed hard on the runway centerline. The left main landing gear separated and the airplane skidded to a stop in the grass to the left of the runway. The left wing and fuselage received substantial damage.

A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine, which included a successful test run of the engine, did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Following the accident, the fuel selector was found selected to the intact right wing fuel tank, which contained about 3 gallons of fuel. The left wing fuel tank contained about 9 gallons of fuel. According to the pilot operating handbook for the accident airplane, each fuel tank contained 3.8 gallons of unusable fuel. Based on this information, it is likely that the total loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA341 for the full record.