Beechcraft J35 N3014C

Summary

On 19 July 2001 at about 15:50 local time, a Beechcraft J35 registered N3014C was involved in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 July 2001 at 15:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

McCarran International (LAS)

Coordinates

36.0802, -115.1391

Aircraft

Beechcraft J35

Registration

N3014C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

El Monte → Las Vegas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX01LA247

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to comply with the airplane flight manual, resulting in fuel starvation and subsequent forced landing on rough terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On short final to runway 19 right at McCarran, the engine lost power, resulting in a forced landing on a dirt road approximately 1/4 mile from the runway. The airplane was substantially damaged when it landed hard in a 5- to 10-degree bank and skidded to a stop. The pilot had departed the El Monte airport on the left main tank. After burning 10.1 gallons from the left tank, he switched to the auxiliary tank over Baker, California, which is approximately halfway between El Monte and Las Vegas. He continued on the auxiliary tank for the remainder of the flight. The right tank was not used. As he approached the airport for landing, he verified that the fuel selector was in the auxiliary position, and believed that he should have had about 13 gallons remaining. The airplane was equipped with a Shadin fuel management system, indicating fuel flow, gallons used, and gallons remaining. The fuel management system data indicated that the airplane had used 19.6 gallons total, at a rate of 12.7 gallons per hour on average. The two main tanks hold 20 gallons of fuel each totaling 40 gallons, of which 34 are useable. The interconnected auxiliary tanks hold an additional 20 gallons. The fuel flow was set to 12.2 to 12.6 gallons per hour during the cruise portion of the flight. The fuel injection system returns about 10 gallons per hour of excess fuel. Fuel return lines are routed through the selector valve to each main cell; except for the auxiliary cells, fuel is returned to the cell from which it is drawn. The auxiliary cells return fuel to the left main cell only. The pilot had burned 10.1 gallons from the left main tank prior to switching to the auxiliary tank, and then an additional 9.4 gallons was used from the auxilliary tank. However, 19.4 gallons would have actually been withdrawn from the auxiliary tank. The additional fuel was routed to the left main tank, which was then filled back up to capacity. This left only 4/10 gallon in the auxiliary tanks, which is to be used in level flight only, and never for takeoff or landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.