Beechcraft F35 N6XH

Summary

On 4 February 2007 at about 19:30 local time, a Beechcraft F35 registered N6XH was involved in an accident near McKinney, Texas, United States. 2 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

4 February 2007 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

McKinney, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Collin County Regional Airport (KTKI)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Beechcraft F35

Registration

N6XH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McKinney → McKinney

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07CA064

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot made a forced landing to a plowed field after loss of engine power. The 1,800-hour commercial pilot, who reported having accumulated 35 hours in the make and model, reported a loss of engine power prior to entering the downwind leg while on a local flight. According to the pilot, the airplane had been flown under a ferry permit "several months ago" to another airport where an annual inspection was to be completed. The airplane had not been refueled since the ferry flight. The pilot reported that he was planning on making two local flights in order to show the four-place airplane to two separate passengers. During his preflight inspection, prior to the first flight, the pilot noted that all the fuel tanks, including the two auxiliary fuel tanks, appeared to be full and free of contaminants. On the first flight, the pilot reported flying north of the airport for approximately 7 to 10 minutes, performing several maneuvers, and then return to the airport for a full stop landing. The first flight was uneventful. On the second flight, the pilot took the second passenger and followed the same route taken on the previous flight. While returning to the airport, when approximately 4 or 5 miles short of the airport, the pilot switched the fuel selector to the left main tank and reduced power. Immediately after the power reduction the pilot noted that the engine "lugged down and roughened." After attempting different power and mixture settings, the pilot switched to an auxiliary fuel tank, and then switched back the left main fuel tank. The pilot reported that the engine then "died altogether" and he switched the fuel selector to the right main tank. The airplane landed in a wet-freshly plowed field with the gear and flaps retracted. The single-engine airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage and the engine firewall. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The reason for the reported loss of engine power could not be determined. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, noted that he found the fuel selector in the right main tank position and he also noted that the right main fuel tank was empty. The inspector also noted the pilot's management of the fuel system was contrary to the manufacturer's recommendations. Weather at the time of the accident was reported as wind from 020 degrees at 10 knots, clear skies, with a barometric pressure setting 30.38 inches of Mercury.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.