Beechcraft 35-C33A N1259M

Summary

On 1 June 2024 at about 20:55 local time, a Beechcraft 35-C33A registered N1259M, operated by L A M Capital Management LLC, was involved in an accident near San Diego, California, 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

1 June 2024 at 20:55

Classification

Accident

Location

San Diego, California, United States

Nearest airport

Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Air (MYF)

Coordinates

32.8168, -117.1374

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35-C33A

Registration

N1259M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

L A M Capital Management LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hollister → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24LA174

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while approaching the destination airport at the conclusion of a cross-country flight with the fuel selector set to the fullest tank, the engine began to run rough and lost partial power. Unable to reach the runway, the airplane landed hard short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure. Fuel system continuity was confirmed, and a test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. The fuel strainer screen was removed and exhibited areas of corrosion. A water-detecting paste revealed the presence of water in the fuel. The fuel manifold was disassembled. The rubber diaphragm inside was brittle and exhibited peeling, and there were numerous rubber flakes found, but it could not be determined if the contaminants would have affected the operation of the unit. There was evidence of rust on the screen and in the cavity. The fuel strainer screen and the fuel cap (filler) receptacles also contained rust consistent with water in the fuel system. Although the investigation was unable to determine when the water was introduced into the fuel system, the presence of rust was consistent with long-term water exposure. Given the successful engine test run and the lack of anomalies of the fuel system, and the corrosion observed on some fuel system components, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of water contamination of the fuel system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.