PACOIMA, CA, USA
N164N
BEECH G35
THE PILOT & A PASSENGER WERE COMPLETING A PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED CLEARANCE TO LAND, THEN THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE FINAL APPROACH SEGMENT TO THE RUNWAY WAS OVER A RESIDENTIAL & LIGHT INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS AREA. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE FLYING LOW & THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED NEAR THE TOP OF A STAINLESS STEEL STORAGE TANK, ABOUT 35 FT ABOVE THE GROUND, 800 FT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY & 50 FT RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED & THE OCCUPANTS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. AN EXAM OF THE FUEL SELECTOR REVEALED THAT IT WAS POSITIONED BETWEEN 'OFF' & THE RIGHT FUEL TANK POSITION. THIS POSITION WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY FUEL TO GO TO THE ENGINE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT.
IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE FUEL SELECTOR BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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