The pilot reported they were on a local flight and, while attempting to balance the fuel load, moved the fuel selector valve from the “left” main tank position to the “right” position.
The Aeronca 11AC subsequently lost engine power.
The pilot was not able to restart the engine and performed a precautionary landing onto a road near Apple, Idaho.
Shortly after touchdown, the airplane veered off the road and into a ditch. The wings and engine truss sustained substantial damage. The pilot suffered minor injuries in the crash.
Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that fuel was present in the fuel tanks and that the fuel selector valve positions available were WING TANKS (9 o’clock position), MAIN TANK (12 o’clock position), and OFF (3 o’clock position).
The pilot reported that he moved the fuel selector valve from the “left” tank, which was actually the WING TANKS position, to the “right” tank, which was actually the OFF position.
Probable Cause: Fuel starvation due to the pilot’s incorrect movement of the fuel selector valve to OFF, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
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This September 2023 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Had an early Beech Musketeer. Had a similar handle that had a little pointer like that which was the actual selector indicator, not the handle. If you came out of a 172 you might use the handle as the indicator. Not a smart design. Caused a few accidents.
The shaft on those valves only allows the handle to go on in one orientation.
The problem is with the part on the valve that allows specific direction and degree of travel. Those can be set as desired when the valve is assembled.
Some people want the small pointer to show valve selection, some want the larger easier to see handle to show what is selected.
Over the last 60-70 years many have been changed or replaced so there is NO common standard even among different aircraft of the exact same type.
They need to be painted red on the pointer, or modified to remove the small pointer if that isn’t used to indicate the valve selection. An arc on the placard set at a radius approximately equal to the pointer or the handle length (which ever shows the selected position) is also an intuitive help.
Too late to get everyone to agree on which end of the handle to use for indication – but these controls need to be to made impossible to misunderstand.
Something so simple as a fuel selector could cause an accident for an unaware pilot
Amazing how often a single action requiring 1 second of the pilots attention brings down an aircraft.
Looks like the primer is unlocked. Not sure about the position of the handle. It does not match the description in the text,
Good eye!
Garbage fuel selector . Looks to me like the handle is upside down too.
There should be an”OFF detent to prevent this. Many fuel selectors are in tuff to see positions and require attention that can be used elsewhere. If you go by ‘feel’ this can happen. True, fearless flyer should have known better but anything that can be done
by the manufacturer or maintenance to eliminate this dangerous risk should be done.
Not familiar with the aircraft???
When something is changed (fuel selector) which causes an adverse reaction, reverse the action right away ! 🤔