N18893

On June 4, 1994, at 1330 central daylight time (cdt), a Beech C- 23, N18893, registered to Nathan Carter of Chicago, Illinois, and piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with a fence and terrain during a forced landing. The airplane was on a downwind leg for runway 02 at the Gary Regional Airport, Gary, Indiana, when the pilot reported a loss of engine power to the air traffic control tower. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries, the passenger reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Chicago, Illinois, at 1310 cdt.

The pilot said he was on an extended downwind for runway 02 when his engine lost power. He said he was told that his airplane was number two behind an inbound Cessna. After contacting the tower the pilot said he "...went through the emergency procedures and switched the tanks from right to left." The pilot said he decided to make an off airport landing because he was too far from the airport. He "...picked a spot in a fenced parking area in this industrial area, [and] proceeded to land." During his approach to land, the pilot said, the airplane struck a barbed wire fence. The pilot's written statement concludes by stating his airplane had 15 gallons of fuel in the right tank and minimum fuel in the left tank before departing on the accident flight.

During a telephone interview the pilot said he made a visual inspection of the fuel tanks before departing. He estimated there was between five and seven gallons of fuel in the tank. The right fuel tank, according to the pilot, was half full. He said the airplane had been running on the right tank.

According to the pilot, he entered an extended downwind leg "...outside the traffic area." The pilot stated his airplane's engine quit running on the downwind leg. He said a second airplane was at his two o'clock position when his engine stopped running. The pilot said he did not turn onto final approach until the second airplane passed him. He said he was "...number two and I stayed there."

When asked to describe the emergency procedures he followed when the engine stopped running the pilot responded by stating: He turned the fuel boost pump on, put the mixture to full rich, switched the fuel selector to the left tank, and attempted an air start.

The on-scene investigation was conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI). According to the PMI, the right wing was severely damaged around the fuel tank. He said there was no fuel in the tank. The PMI said he did not smell any fuel odor at the accident site. The fuel selector was on the left tank. The PMI stated the left tank did not have fuel in it and that its engine fuel supply line had been sheared off. He said the airport's control tower did not receive a radio call from the pilot expressing an emergency.

The PMI said the pilot had told him he used the right tank for the flight. The pilot told the PMI the right tank's fuel level was at the tab before departing for Gary, Indiana. The PMI asked the pilot how much fuel was in N18893's left fuel tank before departure. The pilot did not respond to the PMI's question.