N8688K

Destroyed
None

Cessna 340AS/N: 340A0619

Accident Details

Date
Friday, June 1, 2007
NTSB Number
LAX07CA182
Location
Chandler, AZ
Event ID
20070705X00889
Coordinates
33.309165, -111.925834
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

fuel starvation due to the pilot's failure to adequately manage and monitor his fuel supply.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N8688K
Make
CESSNA
Serial Number
340A0619
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1978
Model / ICAO
340AC340
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Multi Engine
No. of Engines
2

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
POSLUSZNY STEVE
Address
196 LAKE AVE
Status
Deregistered
City
SEATTLE
State / Zip Code
WA 98249
Country
United States

Analysis

The pilot stated that he took off from Stellar Airpark, Chandler, Arizona, around 1530 to troubleshoot a landing gear anomaly. He departed the airport area to the south. He cycled the landing gear, and upon getting questionable indications in the cockpit of gear position, he requested another aircraft confirm his landing gear configuration. Once he got the confirmation that all three wheels were down he proceeded back to the airport. About 2 miles away, and approximately 1,800 feet above ground level, the right engine began to lose power. He troubleshot the engine by attempting a restart, cycling the fuel pump off then on, and selected the right auxiliary fuel tank. The right engine did regain some power. He had lost some altitude during the process of troubleshooting the engine. He raised the landing gear to reduce drag, and entered the right-hand traffic for runway 17. At this point the left engine lost power, the airplane turned left, and he entered a descent to help maintain airspeed. He put the left propeller in feather, and switched to a new fuel tank, but the engine did not regain power. He did not have any altitude to exchange for airspeed and steered the airplane towards a clear residential street. The airplane impacted the roofs of at least two houses before colliding with the street. The pilot egressed through the rear of the airplane. An FAA inspector that examined the airplane wreckage stated that there was very little evidence of fuel onboard the airplane. The pilot stated that the left engine had failed due to fuel starvation and that he had fuel onboard but it was not in the right places.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX07CA182