BEFORE TAKING OFF (AT 1740) ON HIS RETURN FLT, THE PLT GOT A WX BRIEFING & CHECKED THE NOTAMS, BUT DID NOT REFUEL THE ACFT. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS FOR THE SAN MARCOS ARPT. DURING ARRIVAL AT SAN MARCOS, TX, NO RWY LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE. THE PLT CIRCLED FOR 15 TO 20 MIN UNTIL HE VERIFIED THE RWY LIGHTS WERE INOP, THEN DIVERTED TO AUSTIN,TX. HE STATED THAT ON FINAL APCH TO LAND, THE ENG LOST POWER WITH THE L MAIN TANK INDICATING 1/3 FULL & THE R TANK 1/4 FULL. HE STATED HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS BUT WAS UNABLE TO START THE ENG. DURING THE LANDING ONTO A BOULEVARD, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED & THE R MAIN GEAR SEPARATED. A PASSING VEHICLE RAN OVER THE SEPARATED GEAR WHICH RUPTURED ITS FUEL TANK. THE PLT TOLD THE FBO THAT HE MADE THE APCH USING THE R TANK, THEN WHEN HE LOST POWER, HE SWITCHED TO THE L TANK & BACK TO THE R TANK. LATER, HE STATED HE MADE THE APCH USING THE L TANK. THE ARPT MANAGER AT SAN MARCOS SAID A NOTAM WAS CALLED IN ON 1/25/83 THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WOULD BE INOP INDEFINITELY, BUT NO RECORD OF THIS CALL WAS AVAILABLE.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

Contributing Factors

OBJECT..VEHICLE

Contributing Factors

LIGHT CONDITION..DARK NIGHT

Contributing Factors

AIRPORT FACILITIES,RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS..NOT OPERATING

Contributing Factors

NOTAMS..NOT ATTAINED..AIRPORT PERSONNEL

Contributing Factors

PERFORMED..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors

ENGINE INSTRUMENTS,FUEL QUANTITY GAGE..FALSE INDICATION

Contributing Factors

DIVERTED ATTENTION..PILOT IN COMMAND

Index for Apr1983 | Index of months