Pilots Can Learn From NTSB Final Report on Bonanza Accident in Arizona

The agency’s findings focus on errors in fuel management.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 02:23 PM ET

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The NTSB concluded that fuel mismanagement led to the forced landing that damaged this Beechcraft Bonanza and injured its pilot. [Courtesy: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

An emergency landing accident was caused by a pilot incorrectly activating the auxiliary fuel boost pump during takeoff, leading to engine power loss due to over-fueling.
The pilot's action was based on a prior miscommunication or misunderstanding with a mechanic regarding how to address engine cylinder heating, contradicting the aircraft's official operating manual (POH) and placards.
The incident underscores the critical importance for pilots to strictly adhere to manufacturer's operating instructions, thoroughly understand their aircraft's systems, and maintain rigorous checklist discipline.

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A recent National Transportation Safety Board final report on an emergency landing accident in Arizona is a reminder that fuel management entails more than monitoring the fuel level in the tanks and position of the selector valve.

According to the NTSB report, the accident aircraft, a 1975 Beechcraft F33A Bonanza, departed H. A. Clark Memorial Field Airport (KCMR) in Williams, Arizona, on January 26, 2022, at about 10:55 a.m. MST. The pilot had planned to fly to Eagle Airpark (A09) in Bullhead City, Arizona.

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4