19970304002079A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech E35 · Nashville, GA · March 4, 1997

Date: March 4, 1997 · 13:00 local
Place: Nashville, GA
Airport: Berrien Co Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3257C
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA97LA093
Reported as: Beech E35
Reported engine: Continental E2258
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 170 total13 in this make and model

N3257CRegistration cancelled Jul 8, 2003 · Beech E35S/N D-3922 · Built 1953 Airframe modelBeech E35 Engine modelContinental E225 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

En route unable budge fuel selector. Low fuel. Quit of fineal. Hit tree short of runway. Selector jammed by rust. (-23) unable to move fuel selector from left main to right main during cruise flight. Crew elected to land at nearest airport, Berrien county, 4J2. Executed standard left-turns visual landing pattern; in wings-level attitude on final approach engine stopped. Aircraft left wing struck a tree, aircraft came to rest in a swamp about 400 yards from runway 27 at Berrien county.

As the FAA filed it

EN ROUTE UNABLE BUDGE FUEL SELECTOR. LOW FUEL. QUIT OF FINEAL. HIT TREE SHORT OF RUNWAY. SELECTOR JAMMED BY RUST. (-23) UNABLE TO MOVE FUEL SELECTOR FROM LEFT MAIN TO RIGHT MAIN DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. CREW ELECTED TO LAND AT NEAREST AIRPORT, BERRIEN COUNTY, 4J2. EXECUTED STANDARD LEFT-TURNS VISUAL LANDING PATTERN; IN WINGS-LEVEL ATTITUDE ON FINAL APPROACH ENGINE STOPPED. AIRCRAFT LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE, AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A SWAMP ABOUT 400 YARDS FROM RUNWAY 27 AT BERRIEN COUNTY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA97LA093Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNashville, GAa stuck (jammed) fuel selector valve, due to corrosion from a fuel drain spring, which resulted in fuel starvation, loss of engine power, a forced landing, and subsequent impact with trees. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's inadequate…Mar 4, 1997 · Substantial damage