337 down in Utah

[Francisco]

Read in GAN Magazine about the 337 that went down. The interior had been stript of most avionics and also the fuel selector valves where not installed. During the ferry flight the pilot ran out of fuel and crash.

Any coments?

Francisco

[Kevin McDole]

Here's the NTSB report:
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...01FA162&akey=1

I didn't read the GAN story, but it looks like the pilot very carefully added 15 gallons to each AUX(inboard) tank for the 20 minute flight. He then apparently performed the flight with Main tanks selected. It ended when the Main(outboard) tanks ran out of fuel near this destination.

Did he think the Main tanks were the inboard tanks, or did he simply forget to select the AUX tanks??? The ferry pilot had very little 337 time logged, although his wife claimed he had "extensive" O-2 time in the Air force. Was this a case of not understanding the systems, or simply making a mistake?

[Dale Campbell]

I see this same thing happening to many times. Not having enough fuel on board or not knowing what tank has the fuel. That is why I purchased the 337H latest model that has all tanks in each wing manifolded together to act as one tank in each wing.
I also keep way more fuel in each tank than I think I need. Just in case I have to devert to another airport or maybe that airport has no fuel and you have to go somewhere else. That has happened twice in the last few years. I keep no less than 60 gal. on board and most of the time it is 90-100 gal. I also installed a Shaden fuel monitor and check tanks often.

[Francisco]

I know the pilot had a Ferry permit. but I am curious as to what the FAA alowes in a ferry permit.
I would certainly think that you would not be allowed to take off with the fuel actuator knobs not instaled in the plane!.

Francisco

[kevin]

Webmaster request:

If you are going to comment on the Utah crash, please use this thread. If you are commenting on 337 fuel systems, please use the Fuel Systems thread we created for this subject.

Just trying to keep the material organized.

Thanks.

Kevin

[Francisco]

I told my mechanic the story on the crash. He said that The FAA would not, under any circunstances would have given a ferry permit allowing the pilot to take off without the control knobs for the fuels selector.

SO who is at fault? PIC

PS:
I wonder what experience the pilot had on 337?

[Paul Sharp]

Sometimes it's hard to track down the facts on these kinds of things. But I believe you could get a ferry permit without fuel selectors. If work is being done on a plane they will give you a permit assuming you have presented a valid plan and know how to execute it properly.

I personally know of a plane that was totalled so far as insurance was concerned, but they used duct tape over bad spots in the wings, stuck on some temporarily-formed leading edges, left the gear down, etc. - and got a permit to move the aircraft to a salvage location (since the engines were still in great shape).

Given that the facts are sometimes scarce, it isn't beyond comprehension that the Utah permit was applied for on the basis of moving the aircraft with "hard-wired" aux. tanks, and then the connections were made to the wrong tanks.

Sometimes there's no way to prevent all errors in an imperfect world.