N49J

On March 13, 1999, approximately 1045 mountain standard time, an Aero Commander 200D, N49J, owned and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power while maneuvering at the Evanston Uinta County Airport, Evanston, Wyoming. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. The aircraft was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight which originated approximately 15 minutes before the accident.

According to the pilot, he was conducting a flight test after recent maintenance work had been completed on the engine's electrically-driven fuel pump. A thorough preflight was performed, including fuel levels and drainage, and no water was found in the fuel. Prior to takeoff, he performed an extended run-up at all throttle positions and a mock takeoff to a full stop, and no engine discrepancies were noted.

After an uneventful departure, the nose landing gear light failed to indicate that it was in the up and locked position. The pilot climbed to 10,000 feet and attempted to recycle the landing gear, but was unsuccessful. He stated that the aircraft's airspeed indicated that the gear was in the up position. While in cruise flight, he flew the aircraft at various power settings and the engine "ran smoothly." He then descended to traffic pattern altitude so that he could fly over the airport to have an observer on the ground verify the landing gear's position.

According to the pilot, "about that time the engine quit without warning... The engine sputtered a second, then stopped again, with the electric fuel pump [on]." The pilot stated that he did not have time to extend the landing gear, and was concerned that he would not make the runway due to drag. He performed an emergency gear-up landing on runway 23. Upon impact, the aircraft sustained damage to the underside of the fuselage, bending the lower 2 inches of the firewall.

A postaccident examination of the engine was performed by an FAA maintenance inspector. Fuel was observed in the engine and the fuel tanks. The electric fuel pump was also tested and found to be operational, with fuel present in each of the fuel injector nozzles while the fuel pump was on. No additional engine discrepancies were noted (see attached inspector's statement).