Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On March 6, 1997, approximately 1600 mountain standard time, N800PS, a Ryan Navion A, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after the engine lost power near Hudson, Colorado. There were no injuries to the private pilot, the sole occupant. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Brighton, Colorado, approximately 1550.

The pilot said he last flew the airplane 5 days before the accident. On that day, the airplane had been fueled to capacity, then he flew for 1.5 hours. For the accident flight, the pilot estimated he had no less than 38 gallons of fuel on board (20 gallons in the fuselage tank and 18 gallons in the two wing tanks). The pilot said that although he did not visually check the wing tanks prior to takeoff, the fuel gauges indicated all tanks were full. Shortly after departing Van-Aire Estates Airport, the engine lost power. The pilot turned on the boost pump but did not have time to transfer fuel from the fuselage tank to the wing tanks because of the low altitude and his concentration on the forced landing. During the landing roll in a plowed field, the left main landing gear twisted, tearing the knee brace from the rear spar. The pilot said that when he removed the right wing fuel cap, he saw no evidence of fuel in the tank. The fuselage tank was full.

According to the Ryan Navion A fuel schematic, each wing holds a 20 gallon tank. The tanks are interconnected. Visual inspection of the fuel quantity can only be done by removing the right wing fuel cap (the left wing tank is not similarly equipped). The fuselage tank supply line connects to the wing tank lines, but there is a transfer valve in the line. Opening the transfer valve will allow fuel to gravity flow to into the main supply line. Activating the boost pump will accelerate the process.

The pilot could not explain what had happened to the 18 gallons he had estimated were in the main tanks before the accident flight. A total power loss due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane and its fuel system. Factors include: the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane, the improper fuel tank selector position that would not allow fuel transfer from the fuselage tank to the wing tanks, and the rough, uneven, and soft terrain on which the forced landing was made.