Beechcraft K35 N9518R

Summary

On 26 June 2002 at about 13:15 local time, a Beechcraft K35 registered N9518R was involved in an accident near Montrose, Colorado, United States. One person was 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

26 June 2002 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Montrose, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

38.4908, -108.0264

Aircraft

Beechcraft K35

Registration

N9518R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Montrose → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN02LA068

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to follow published aircraft operating procedures, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that he was practicing flight maneuvers between 500 to 1100 feet above ground level. He said the fuel selector was on the left main tank, and the engine began to sputter. He switched the fuel selector to the right main tank, but did not turn on the boost pump. All attempts to restart the engine failed and he made a forced landing in a bean field, subsequently wrinkling the fuselage, and bending several bulkheads and the lower centerline spar carry through members. An FAA inspector examined the accident aircraft and found the left main fuel tank empty, the right main tank was approximately half full (about 11 gallons), and the auxiliary selector position (two 10 gallon tanks feed one position) with approximately 15 gallons of fuel. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for the airplane states that the engine air start procedure includes turning the auxiliary fuel pump on "until power is regained, then off." A published temporary change to the POH states: The addition of a placard to the fuel selector to warn of the no-flow condition that exists between the fuel selector detents.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.