Three Fuel Emergencies, a Boeing 737 Crash, and the Carb-Ice Myth

Max Trescott and Rob Mark talk about a series of accidents tied together by fuel management, fatigue, aircraft knowledge, and the need to recognize deteriorating situations before recovery options disappear.

The episode begins with the loss of K2 Airways Flight KTA1732, Boeing 737-400 freighter AP-BOI. The crew reported a navigation-system problem while flying from Sharjah to Karachi, after which tracking data showed abrupt altitude changes and a steep descent into the Arabian Sea. Five crewmembers were aboard, and the cause remains unknown.

Max then analyzes the nighttime crash of Beechcraft 95-A55 Baron N7501S near Lancaster, South Carolina. The airplane had been airborne for more than four hours when its groundspeed rapidly decreased at 9,500 feet and it began a six-and-a-half-minute descent that resembled a powerless glide. The track suggests a possible dual-engine failure, with fuel exhaustion or fuel starvation among the possibilities. The accident leg was reportedly the sixth flight that day, and the pilots may have begun flying nearly 18 hours earlier.

Max and Rob discuss how a long duty day, late-night operations, and time near 10,000 feet without supplemental oxygen can degrade judgment and make errors such as improper mixture settings or missed tank changes more likely. Max estimates that the Baron’s optional 136-gallon system could theoretically support a flight of this length, but only with favorable power settings, mixture control, and full tanks. That makes the distinction between exhaustion and starvation especially important: the airplane may have carried enough total fuel while still failing to deliver usable fuel to both engines. The discussion emphasizes that legal Part 91 flexibility does not eliminate physiological limits, and Max explains his own personal minimum of planning to be on the ground by 11:00 p.m.

A preliminary report involving Cessna 150L N156KA near Kissimmee, Florida, presents an unusual fuel mystery. After a low approach, the engine lost power. The instructor reportedly saw the left gauge near empty and attempted to move the fuel shutoff control toward a supposed right-tank position, although a standard Cessna 150 selector has only ON and OFF positions. Investigators recovered about half a gallon from the left tank and 7.5 gallons from the right, raising the possibility of a fuel-venting or fuel-cap problem in addition to confusion over the controls.

Cessna P210N N54CC approached the 9,550-foot runway at Santa Teresa, New Mexico, but never touched down. A witness saw it flying just above the runway at a high angle of attack before it stalled and spun into a ditch. The airplane reportedly had 40 degrees of flaps, and its last tracking point showed a high descent rate close to the ground. Whether an engine problem or attempted go-around contributed is not yet known, but the accident illustrates that pulling back cannot arrest a high sink rate once the wing reaches its critical angle of attack.

The preliminary report for Pacific Aerospace 750XL N221BN, which crashed during a skydiving flight at Butler, Missouri, contains an important surprise. The PT6A-34 engine showed signatures consistent with producing power at impact, and investigators found no engine malfunction that would have prevented normal operation. The aircraft was reportedly within weight-and-balance limits. Multiple GoPro cameras were recovered and may help explain why the airplane entered a steep left turn shortly after takeoff.

Max also discusses a prior FAA drug-test refusal case involving the pilot and the strict rules requiring an employee to remain at the collection site until the testing process is completed.

Experimental Piper PA-20 N7635K struck mountainous terrain southeast of Cordova, Alaska, killing the pilot. He had departed Yakutat after learning that avgas was unavailable, carrying automotive fuel in auxiliary jugs connected to the airplane’s fuel system. Weather at Cordova was instrument meteorological conditions, no flight plan was filed, and the wreckage was found in steep terrain. FAA records indicated that the pilot’s certificate had been suspended and his medical had expired, making this an apparent controlled-flight-into-terrain accident layered with multiple warning signs.

Two final reports reinforce basic cockpit discipline. In Cessna 172M N4464R, the pilot’s seat slid aft during takeoff from Nampa, Idaho, leaving him unable to reach the rudder pedals. The airplane departed the runway and struck a hangar. Max and Rob recommend physically confirming that the seat-locking pin is fully engaged rather than merely listening for a click.

Cessna 182 N8580T lost power on final at Vernal, Utah, because the pilot left the selector on the left tank until it ran dry, even though fuel remained in the right tank. The checklist required BOTH for landing, but the pilot delayed the change and forgot it.

The episode closes with listener and CFI Sam Dawson challenging the belief that some carbureted aircraft are naturally resistant to carb ice. He argues that pilots should consider carburetor heat during low-power operations whenever icing is possible, rather than waiting for unmistakable symptoms that may appear too late.