Beechcraft 35 N5093C

Summary

On 13 January 2019 at about 21:58 local time, a Beechcraft 35 registered N5093C was involved in an accident near Port Hadlock, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 January 2019 at 21:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Hadlock, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Jefferson County International (0S9)

Coordinates

48.0422, -122.7747

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35

Registration

N5093C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1950

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Port Townsend → Everett

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR19LA064

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot’s mismanagement of the available fuel.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff and during the initial climb, the cabin door opened, and the pilot elected to return to the airport. Upon entering the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot noticed that the left fuel gauge indicated full; and the right fuel gauge indicated empty. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost total power and the pilot performed a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right main fuel tank and right tip tank had been breached during the accident sequence, while the left main wing tank and left tip tank were minimally damaged. Recovery personnel reported that about 12 gallons of aviation fuel was drained from the left main fuel tank and the left tip tank. The fuel selector handle was in the right tank position. When operated by hand, the handle moved freely through 360° rotation by hand, with each detent identified by feel. Examination revealed no mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation when the pilot failed to switch from the empty right main tank to the left main tank.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.