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FTW92FA035

1991-12-08 · PASADENA, Texas, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport EFD

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FUEL STARVATION DUE TO THE PILOTS' IMPROPER BOOST PUMP PROCEDURE. FACTORS WERE PILOTS' FAILURE TO FOLLOW CHECKLIST, DARK NIGHT, AND UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.

Factual narrative

DURING A NIGHT ILS APPROACH THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ENGINE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE PILOT MADE A VFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT. A VFR MISSED APPROACH WAS MADE DUE TO FOG AT THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT REQUESTED AN IFR CLEARANCE TO A CONTROLLED FIELD AND WAS CLEARED FOR THE ILS APPROACH RUNWAY 17R. AT THE FINAL APPROACH FIX THE PILOT REPORTED ENGINE PROBLEMS AND THEN STATED THAT HE HAD THE ENGINE BACK. HE SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND THAT HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. THE PILOT STATED TO THE SAFETY BOARD THAT HE SELECTED THE LEFT FUEL TANK AT THE INITIAL POWER LOSS. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO SELECT THE BOOST PUMP, HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT VERIFY THAT THE BOOST PUMP HAD BEEN SELECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURERS CHECKLIST. DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_FTW92FA035.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.