What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Crashed during approach to land. (.4)a witness, near the approach end of the runway, monitoring the air traffic control tower frequency, heard the tower clear the airplane to enter left traffic for runway 23, and saw the airplane enter left downwind for the traffic pattern. The witness said that the airplane 'was very low for that part of the pattern, 300 to 500 feet above ground level. The pilot told the tower that he was abeam the numbers for runway 28 and wanted to land on that runway. The airplane 'began a sharp turn, but without much bank - probably skidding - when parallel to runway 28, the plane wobbled, banked sharply left and right, and lost altitude. The airplane 'appeared to be in a landing-type attitude, not nose down.' The airplane wobbled, straightened out, then 'disappeared from sight behind hills and buildings.' Examination of the airplane's fuel tanks revealed no fuel in the right fuel tank. Six gallons of fuel were recovered from the left fuel tank. The fuel selector valve in the airplane's cockpit was positioned on the right fuel tank. No other anomalies were found with the airplane. (-23) on October 5, 1997 at 1722 eastern standard time (EST), a Beech V35A, N1566A, operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when on approach for landing the airplane impacted the terrain. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR FAR part 91. There was no flight plan on board. The pilot received serious injuries. An inspection of fuel tanks starboard tank had no fuel and fuel selector was set to starboard tank.
As the FAA filed it
CRASHED DURING APPROACH TO LAND. (.4)A WITNESS, NEAR THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, MONITORING THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER FREQUENCY, HEARD THE TOWER CLEAR THE AIRPLANE TO ENTER LEFT TRAFFIC FOR RUNWAY 23, AND SAW THE AIRPLANE ENTER LEFT DOWNWIND FOR THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE 'WAS VERY LOW FOR THAT PART OF THE PATTERN, 300 TO 500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE PILOT TOLD THE TOWER THAT HE WAS ABEAM THE NUMBERS FOR RUNWAY 28 AND WANTED TO LAND ON THAT RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE 'BEGAN A SHARP TURN, BUT WITHOUT MUCH BANK - PROBABLY SKIDDING - WHEN PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 28, THE PLANE WOBBLED, BANKED SHARPLY LEFT AND RIGHT, AND LOST ALTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE 'APPEARED TO BE IN A LANDING-TYPE ATTITUDE, NOT NOSE DOWN.' THE AIRPLANE WOBBLED, STRAIGHTENED OUT, THEN 'DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT BEHIND HILLS AND BUILDINGS.' EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. SIX GALLONS OF FUEL WERE RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE IN THE AIRPLANE'S COCKPIT WAS POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. NO OTHER ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE. (-23) ON OCTOBER 5, 1997 AT 1722 EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST), A BEECH V35A, N1566A, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN ON APPROACH FOR LANDING THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR FAR PART 91. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON BOARD. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. AN INSPECTION OF FUEL TANKS STARBOARD TANK HAD NO FUEL AND FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET TO STARBOARD TANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.