What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Fuel exhausted one tank on final. No restart. High. Slipped steeply. Wing hit. Impacted upright. Gear thru wings. (-23) on June 7, 1997 at approximately 1145 eastern daylight time (EDT), N35MD a Beech 35-V35, serial number D-8506, crashed while attempting to land at Spruce Creek Airport (44J), Daytona Beech, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during this out and back to fort pierce airport (fpr). The pilot in command herbert bricker, certificate number 32045, suffered a compression fracture of the T-12 vertebrae, the two passengers on board complained of numerous aches and pain but refused treatment by fire rescue. Mr. Bricker stated that he was on the downwind leg to 44J when his engine quit running. He realized he had forgotten to switch the fuel tanks from right tank to left. Mr. Bricker ran the right fuel tank dry. After switching to the left tank he tried to restart the engine but did not have enough time. He turned to land but stalled the aircraft. The aircraft's left wing impacted runway 23. Damage to the aircraft was as follows; the propeller was severely bent, the main landing gears on both sides pierced through t he wings, the left tip tank was dented, the nose gear collapsed, the engine cowl was dented and distorted, there was also a severe oil and fuel leak resulting from the accident. Mr. John blackburn, jr., also a pilot and the passenger sitting in the right seat confirms that the pilot forgot to switch the fuel tanks. Mr. Bricker also admitted to the volusia county sheriff deputy on the scene that he had run out of fuel. Mr. Bricker's last documented biannual flight check was may 31, 1995.
As the FAA filed it
FUEL EXHAUSTED ONE TANK ON FINAL. NO RESTART. HIGH. SLIPPED STEEPLY. WING HIT. IMPACTED UPRIGHT. GEAR THRU WINGS. (-23) ON JUNE 7, 1997 AT APPROXIMATELY 1145 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), N35MD A BEECH 35-V35, SERIAL NUMBER D-8506, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT SPRUCE CREEK AIRPORT (44J), DAYTONA BEECH, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THIS OUT AND BACK TO FORT PIERCE AIRPORT (FPR). THE PILOT IN COMMAND HERBERT BRICKER, CERTIFICATE NUMBER 32045, SUFFERED A COMPRESSION FRACTURE OF THE T-12 VERTEBRAE, THE TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD COMPLAINED OF NUMEROUS ACHES AND PAIN BUT REFUSED TREATMENT BY FIRE RESCUE. MR. BRICKER STATED THAT HE WAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG TO 44J WHEN HIS ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. HE REALIZED HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO SWITCH THE FUEL TANKS FROM RIGHT TANK TO LEFT. MR. BRICKER RAN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK DRY. AFTER SWITCHING TO THE LEFT TANK HE TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME. HE TURNED TO LAND BUT STALLED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING IMPACTED RUNWAY 23. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS AS FOLLOWS; THE PROPELLER WAS SEVERELY BENT, THE MAIN LANDING GEARS ON BOTH SIDES PIERCED THROUGH T HE WINGS, THE LEFT TIP TANK WAS DENTED, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, THE ENGINE COWL WAS DENTED AND DISTORTED, THERE WAS ALSO A SEVERE OIL AND FUEL LEAK RESULTING FROM THE ACCIDENT. MR. JOHN BLACKBURN, JR., ALSO A PILOT AND THE PASSENGER SITTING IN THE RIGHT SEAT CONFIRMS THAT THE PILOT FORGOT TO SWITCH THE FUEL TANKS. MR. BRICKER ALSO ADMITTED TO THE VOLUSIA COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTY ON THE SCENE THAT HE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL. MR. BRICKER'S LAST DOCUMENTED BIANNUAL FLIGHT CHECK WAS MAY 31, 1995.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.