19970330003959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech M35 · Wichita Falls, TX · March 30, 1997

Date: March 30, 1997 · 15:30 local
Place: Wichita Falls, TX
Airport: Wichita Valley Airport
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N223C
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97LA147
Reported as: Beech M35
Reported engine: Continental IO470C
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,500 total4 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N223CRegistration cancelled Jan 3, 2011 · Beech M35S/N D-6287 · Built 1960 Airframe modelBeech M35 Engine modelContinental I0-470 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.

Engine siezed on takeoff. Oil on windshield. Crash landed. Had thrown a rod. Piston broke. Detonation due auto fuel (-23) aircraft took off from F14 and 20 seconds into flight on turn out, the engine quit. The pilot turned aircraft to land back on the field and was unable to do so. Pilot lowered the gear and flaps and landed in field, crossing a ditch and coming to rest on opposite side of ditch. Aircraft received substantial damage. No injuries occurred to pilot or passenger.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE SIEZED ON TAKEOFF. OIL ON WINDSHIELD. CRASH LANDED. HAD THROWN A ROD. PISTON BROKE. DETONATION DUE AUTO FUEL (-23) AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM F14 AND 20 SECONDS INTO FLIGHT ON TURN OUT, THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT TURNED AIRCRAFT TO LAND BACK ON THE FIELD AND WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. PILOT LOWERED THE GEAR AND FLAPS AND LANDED IN FIELD, CROSSING A DITCH AND COMING TO REST ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF DITCH. AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO INJURIES OCCURRED TO PILOT OR PASSENGER.

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 FTW97LA147Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportIowa Park, TXThe pilot's refueling of the airplane with automotive grade fuel which resulted in engine failure due to detonation. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Mar 30, 1997 · Substantial damage