Page:CAB Accident Report, Pennsylvania-Central Airlines Flight 143.pdf/18

 supply was cut off stopped 30 seconds after the fuel was cut off. It stopped without any back-firing or other abnormal indications. During a normal take-off the manifold pressure is increased with acceleration up to the maximum permissible, which, according to PCA instructions, is 34 inches. If a normal take-off were started immediately after the fuel supply to one engine had been inadvertently cut off, the length of time required to exhaust the fuel in the carburetor and fuel lines to this engine would be about 20 seconds, the approximate length of time in the take-off at Charleston before the right engine stopped. Captain Wright and First Officer Riley both testified, however, that the engine fuel selector valve was "on" for both engines at the time the take-off was started and that they did not notice the fuel pressure warning light for the right engine of NC 13359 until after the propeller was feathered and that engine had stopped completely. Since this light is approximately 1½ inches in diameter and makes a brilliant green light, Captain Wright and First Officer Riley probably noticed it as soon as it came on. Moreover, First Officer Riley stated that the fuel pressure did not drop from the normal five pounds until after the engine had stopped. If the pilot had inadvertently shut off the gasoline to the right engine or if there had been some other stoppage of the flow, the fuel pressure would have dropped and the fuel pressure warning light would have come on before the engine stopped. Based on the testimony of Captain Wright and First Officer Riley, it appears improbable that the right engine could have been cut off from the fuel supply by a maladjustment of the engine fuel selector valve.