Primary finding
Probable cause
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The fuel starvation was caused by the pilot's failure to select a tank containing fuel and the intermittent operation of the electric boost pump due to a faulty cockpit switch. A factor in the accident was the inadequate maintenance and inspection of the aircraft.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The engine quit during the takeoff initial climb and the aircraft collided with a ditch during a forced landing attempt beyond the airport boundary. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the aircraft and interviewed the pilots and witnesses to the accident. The pilots had reportedly switched fuel tanks shortly before the engine quit. The inspector stated that the right fuel tank contained about three quarters capacity of fuel while the left fuel tank was empty. The electric boost pump was found to function intermittently due to a faulty cockpit switch. According to the maintenance records, the aircraft had an annual inspection in 1984 and was subsequently parked and not flown until after the most recent annual, which was signed off in the logbooks on march 1, 1993.
Source record
Factual narrative
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