Pilot Debrief

Rockwell International 112TC near Cheyenne, WY — 2018-06-14

Final reportCEN18LA225
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Date
2018-06-14
Location
Cheyenne, WY, USA
Airport
KCYS
Aircraft
Rockwell International 112TC
Registration
N4954W
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot and his passenger departed on a short personal flight from an airpark to a local airport. The entire flight was conducted with the fuel selector valve selected to BOTH. During the flight, the engine rpm decreased and then increased several times before decreasing to idle. The pilot attempted to restore engine power but was not successful. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that each fuel tank contained about 1/4 tank of fuel based on the reading on the fuel gauges and his knowledge of the fuel burn and the previous day's flight. He did not have a calibrated fuel stick for the airplane to visually verify the level of fuel. A postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and fuel system revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Thus, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have verified fuel levels with a calibrated fuel stick before flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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