Incident Overview
Description
A Britten Norman Islander, N133RS, force-landed in a field about half a mile short of runway 14 at Nassau International Airport. The pilot had reported that the left engine had failed during the approach. Probable Cause The Flight Standards Inspectorate determined that the probable cause of this accident was Propulsion System Malfunction due to fuel exhaustion of the left engine, followed by inappropriate crew response (fuel mismanagement). Contributing Factors – Pilot’s unfamiliarity with aircraft fuel system. – Pilot’s limited command experience. (He was a new hire, low time pilot) – Pilot’s failure to conduct a proper preflight inspection of his aircraft. (did not visually check fuel tanks despite knowing that the gauges were faulty) – Pilot’s complacency with documentation of defects. (Pilot never advised maintenance or management that the gauges were faulty) – Pilot’s reliance on indications that he admitted were erroneous. – Pilot’s lack of situational awareness. – Pilot’s failure to recognize that his problem was fuel exhaustion and not engine failure and neglected to use cross-feed procedure.
Primary Cause
Propulsion System Malfunction ? Fuel exhaustion of the left engine.Propulsion System Malfunction ? Fuel exhaustion of the left engine.Share on:
