The Stinson Junior SR was in-bound to the airport in Ripon, Wisconsin, via a visual flight rules arrival procedure when the engine lost total power.
The pilot conducted a forced landing to a muddy field where the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted.
The pilot received minor injuries in the crash, while the three passengers were not injured.
The responding FAA inspector noted substantial damage to the empennage. The inspector also noted that the one fuel tank was empty and there was fuel staining on the soil.
The pilot reported that the airplane should have had about 15 to 20 gallons of fuel remaining. He added that the carburetor was recently overhauled and that there might have been something wrong with the carburetor.
In a subsequent conversation, the pilot reported that he believed that nothing was wrong with the carburetor, but the airplane had an “odd fuel system” and if the fuel level was low, the engine could experience fuel starvation due to decreased fuel pressure, to which he attributed the loss of engine power.
Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
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This July 2021 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.
There were four people in that little airplane? Really?!!
Here we go again with the full-tank / empty-tank switcheroo. Why not just connect them in parallel and let them drain simultaneously? Nobody ever answers me.
Regards/J
Most of the high wing Cessnas have a ‘both’ position on the fuel selector, since fuel gravity feeds to the selector. The the tanks about 4 ft above the carburetor,so there is no fuel pump to fail.! Fuel injected models need a pump to feed the injectors.
Most low wing aircraft have a pump to pull fuel from one tank at a time.
I don’t see what is ‘odd’ about the Stinson’s fuel system.?
OK. ? Does anyone know what makes the fuel system ‘ODD’ on this aircraft.?
It has 2 fuel tanks, a selector valve, and liens to the carb.
So, what is ‘odd’ about it ? inadequate gravity fuel pressure ? …or is this the pilot’s explanation for miss-managing the fuel ?