19970403004339A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech D35 · Bartlesville, OK · April 3, 1997

Date: April 3, 1997 · 17:33 local
Place: Bartlesville, OK
Airport: Frank Phillips Airport
Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N940MD
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97LA149
Reported as: Beech D35
Reported engine: Continental E1851
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,400 total

N940MDRegistration cancelled Jul 11, 2013 · Beech D35S/N D-3474 · Built 1953 Airframe modelBeech D35 Engine modelContinental E185 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.

Lost power in pattern. Crash landed off airport. Fuel selected empty tank. Indicator on other tank with fuel. (-23) enroute from tulsa, pilot switched from LH to RH fuel tank and did not switch the gauge to the right tank. Engine quit since RH tank was empty. Aircraft landed in field short of Bartlesville airport and pilot sustained minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

As the FAA filed it

LOST POWER IN PATTERN. CRASH LANDED OFF AIRPORT. FUEL SELECTED EMPTY TANK. INDICATOR ON OTHER TANK WITH FUEL. (-23) ENROUTE FROM TULSA, PILOT SWITCHED FROM LH TO RH FUEL TANK AND DID NOT SWITCH THE GAUGE TO THE RIGHT TANK. ENGINE QUIT SINCE RH TANK WAS EMPTY. AIRCRAFT LANDED IN FIELD SHORT OF BARTLESVILLE AIRPORT AND PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

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 FTW97LA149Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBartlesville, OKthe pilot's selection of an empty fuel tank, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power. A factor relating to the accident was: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft.Apr 3, 1997 · Substantial damage