Beechcraft H35 N365B

Summary

On 23 July 2023 at about 16:52 local time, a Beechcraft H35 registered N365B was involved in an accident near Georgetown, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 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

23 July 2023 at 16:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Georgetown, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Georgetown Exec (GTU)

Coordinates

30.6619, -97.6871

Aircraft

Beechcraft H35

Registration

N365B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1957

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fredericksburg → Georgetown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA318

3 people had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the airplane was fueled, the pilot and two passengers completed an uneventful 33-minute cross-country flight. The airplane was not fueled before beginning the 28-minute return flight. The pilot reported that the run-up, takeoff, climb out, and cruise portion of the return flight proceeded normally. While on left base in the airport traffic pattern and after configuring the airplane for landing, he attempted to increase engine power, but the engine did not respond. His attempt to troubleshoot the problem, which included activating the fuel boost pump and changing fuel tanks, was not successful. The airplane impacted an unoccupied two-story residence about 1 mile south-southwest of the airport. Postaccident examination confirmed continuity of the airframe fuel system. The fuel strainer contained some water, and the screen was partially obstructed with debris. The salvage operator noted that the airplane was stored outside after recovery from the accident site. During an engine test run, the engine speed at full throttle was 2,450 rpm rather than 2,700 rpm as specified for maximum rated power by the manufacturer. The fuel pressure was about 1 psi above the limit. When the fuel mixture to the engine was leaned to within the specification, the engine speed did not change appreciably. Fuel pressure was a field-adjustable parameter, which may account for the finding. The investigation was unable to determine the reason for the loss of engine power. Since the fuel-injected engine performed normally on the initial flight and for most of the return flight, and considering that the wreckage was outside and subjected to the environment during storage, it is unlikely that the debris observed in the fuel screen was present at the time of the accident and likely did not have a role in the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.