N45043

On April 3, 1996, at 1030 hours mountain standard time, an antique Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, N45043, nosed over during a forced landing near Chandler, Arizona. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power during cruise. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and the one passenger onboard were not injured. The flight originated from Chandler on the day of the accident at 1020 as a local area personal flight.

The pilot reported that he was in cruise when the fuel pressure went to zero. He attempted to restore the fuel pressure by using a hand wobble pump but was unsuccessful. The engine lost power and the aircraft nosed over during the forced landing in desert terrain.

FAA inspectors examined the aircraft and found fuel in the tanks. The engine driven and hand wobble fuel pumps were removed from the engine and taken to an overhaul facility where they were installed in a calibrated test bench for a functional check. Both pumps failed the functional test and did not flow any fuel. Review of the maintenance records revealed no entry denoting an overhaul of the components at the time of the last engine overhaul. The history, calendar age, and total time of the pumps are unknown.