Hi Desert Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Joshua Tree, California 92252
Sunday, February 3, 2002 9:53 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The twin-engine airplane lost power in both engines while approaching the uncontrolled airport for landing and landed short of the runway in an unprepared field. The airplane was equipped with four fuel tanks; left main and left auxiliary tanks and right main and right auxiliary tanks. Two fuel quantity gauges indicated fuel quantity in either the main tanks or the auxiliary tanks based upon the position selected on a separate switch on the pilot's sub-panel. Approaching the airport the pilot completed the pre-landing checklist and confirmed the fuel selectors were on the main tanks. He had not changed the fuel selector valve handle positions since before takeoff, 45 minutes earlier, and believed he had been feeding fuel from the main tanks the entire flight. He turned on the fuel boost pumps to the "low" position and confirmed the fuel quantity gauge select switch was also set to indicate fuel quantity in the main tanks. As the airplane entered the landing pattern on crosswind leg, 1/2 to 1 mile from the departure end of the runway, the left engine began to "surge." The fuel gauges read 1/3 tank and the pilot, believing fuel supply was not the problem, elected to feather the left propeller and secure the left engine. Continuing the approach, the pilot extended the downwind leg and turned onto base leg about 1.5 miles from the landing runway threshold. As the airplane was turning onto final approach he lowered the landing gear and, as the gear was extending, the right engine began to surge. He then believed he did have a fuel starvation problem and attempted to unfeather and restart the left engine. The airplane was settling rapidly and he realized he wouldn't be able to reach the runway or restart the engines. He located a clearing beyond some houses and landed the airplane there. The person who recovered the wreckage reported draining 23 gallons of fuel from each main tank , 1/2-gallon from the left auxiliary tank and 1 cup of fuel from the right auxiliary tank. The fuel selector valve handles were in the main tank position and the fuel quantity gauge selector switch was in the main tank position. It is possible on this model airplane to select the fuel quantity gauges to indicate fuel quantity in the main tanks while the engines are, in fact, receiving fuel from the auxiliary tanks. Both engines were subsequently installed on a test stand and operated satisfactorily. No mechanical defects were noted on the airframe or engines.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadvertent missetting of the fuel selector position on the auxiliary fuel tanks (versus the main tanks) resulting in fuel starvation of the engines.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/3/2002
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 953
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City Joshua Tree
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92252
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport Hi Desert
Event Location Nearest Airport ID L80
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 80
Airport Elevation 2464
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 953 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 200
Weather Observation Facility ID PSP
Elevation of weather observation facility 474
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 23
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 150
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.27
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 14042
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Feb 3 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Sep 30 2003 9:55AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Riverside, California

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9DD
NTSB Number LAX02LA076
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Beech
Aircraft Model 95-B55
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number TC-1585
Certified Max Gross Weight 5100
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 5
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 25 2002 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 5
Airframe Hours 4075
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name David S. Blakeslee
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Marina Del Rey
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 90292
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SMO
Departure City Santa Monica
Departure State CA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 850
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code L80
Destination City Joshua Tree
Destination State CA
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Approach - VFR pattern - final approach
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Jul 22 2003 4:44PM
User who most recently changed record COOS
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location 24
Runway Length 2493
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --