NTSB CHI87LA091 — 1987-03-07 · ALMA, Michigan, United States

N12KT has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV7A), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N12KT Beech BE 36 Minor

Factual narrative

ACCORDING TO THE PLT, DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, HE DETERMINED THAT BOTH GAS TANKS WERE FULL AND 'EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER.' AFTER APRX ONE HOUR OF LOCAL FLIGHT, THE PLT ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27 AT GRATIOT COMMUNITY AIRPORT, ALMA, MICHIGAN. THE PLT STATED THAT HE THEN SWITCHED TO THE OTHER FUEL TANK, WHICH WAS FULL, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER 'ENCOUNTERED ENGINE OUT.' ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE OBSERVED THE TANK INDICATOR AND CHECKED THE FUEL SLECTOR VALVE, WHICH 'SEEMED TO BE FIRMLY IN PLACE.' THE ACFT LANDED SHORT OF THE RWY, IN A DITCH PARALLEL TO THE RWY. INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD NO FUEL IN ITS SYSTEMS. THE #6 FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WAS DRY. WHEN THE SELECTOR VALVE WAS MOVED TO THE LH AND RH POSITIONS, WITH THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP ON, THE ENGINE HAD FUEL FLOW OUT OF THE ENGINE FUEL PUMP OUTLET TO THE FUEL CONTROL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_CHI87LA091.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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