# Accident 19970821023219A: Beech H35, Vacaville, CA, August 21, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 21, 1997, 17:05 local time
- Place: Vacaville, CA
- Airport: Nuttree Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.4096° N, 122.0108° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.4096&lon=-122.0108&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4689D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4689D-2018-05-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech H35 (registry code 1151520, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-h35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH H35
- Reported engine: CONT O470G
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 185 total, 88 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX97LA298](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA298) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970821023219A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT ENGINE QUIT ON LANDING, LANDED SHORT OF RUNWAY.  (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FUEL GAUGES ALWAYS READ 'FULL,' SO HE CHECKED HIS FUEL VISUALLY AND TIMED EACH TANK.  HE STATED THAT HE TOOK OFF WITH 38 GALLONS OF FUEL, WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE LEFT TANK, AND SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK ABOUT 18 NAUTICAL MILES FROM HIS FINAL DESTINATION.  WHILE ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, HE HEARD A 'FUNNY NOISE.'  THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE PUT THE THROTTLE FORWARD BUT THE ENGINE DIDN'T SEEM TO RESPOND.  HE RETRACTED THE FLAPS AND TURNED FOR THE RUNWAY.  THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY.  THE PILOT REPORED TO THE POLICE OFFICER WHO RESPONDED TO THE SITE SAID HE "BLEW IT AND RAN OUT OF GAS.'  AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT.  THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE 'OFF' POSITION AND FUEL WAS PRESENT AT THE CARBURETOR INLET WHEN THE LINE WAS REMOVED.  THE FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.  THE RIGHT TIP TANK WAS EMPTY, BUT HAD BEEN DAMAGED IN THE ACCIDENT;  THE RIGHT AUXILIARY TANK HELD ABOUT 9 GALLONS, AND THE RIGHT MAIN TANK HELD ABOUT 14 GALLONS.  THE LEFT TIP TANK HELD ABOUT 2 GALLONS; THE LEFT AUXILIARY TANK HELD 6.5 GALLON S, AND THE LEFT MAIN TANK HELD ABOUT 3/4 GALLON. THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED AND NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND.  THE AIRCRAFT PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK STATES THAT THE CARBURETOR RETURNS AOBUT 3 GALLONS PER HOUR OF EXCESS FUEL.  FUEL RETURN LINES ARE ROUTED THROUGH THE SELECTOR VALVE TO THE LEFT MAIN CELL.  THE AUXILIARY CELLS AND RIGHT MAIN CELL RETURN FUEL TO THE LEFT MAIN CELL ONLY.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX97LA298](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA298), Aug 22, 1997: Beech H35 (N4689D), Vacaville, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply which resulted in fuel starvation. A contributing factor was inoperative fuel gauges.

## Other reports on N4689D (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20140522008119A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140522008119A), May 22, 2014: Beech H35 (N4689D), Parker, AZ, Substantial damage. On may 22, 2014, about 11:30 pacific daylight time, a Beech aircraft corporation v-tail bonanza model H35, serial number D4874, N4689D, received substantial…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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