19971231043439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech 35-33 · St Louis, MO · December 31, 1997

Date: December 31, 1997 · 14:19 local
Place: St Louis, MO
Airport: Spirit Of St Louis Airport
Phase of flight: Forced Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N627V
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI98LA076
Reported as: Beech 3533
Reported engine: Continental IO470J
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 286 total86 in this make and model

N627VRegistration cancelled Apr 6, 1998 · Beech 35-33S/N CD61 Airframe modelBeech 35-33

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.

Crashed into center median of highwind. Fuel selector found in off position. (.4)the airplane was heading westbound toward Spirit of st. Louis airport for landing. Several witnesses saw the airplane in the air just before the accident. One witness said that the engine was not running, and the airplane was descending in steps. The airplane turned so that its wings were straight up and down. The airplane then rolled so that the wings were no longer sideways, but the right wing was lower. The airplane then struck the ground. Another witness said that the airplane was 'in a very steep angle.' As the airplane came close to the ground, it was in a right bank. Then almost immediately, the airplane struck the ground with its right wing and right landing gear at the same time. Examination of the wreckage revealed the fuel selector in the 'off' position. No other anomalies were observed.

As the FAA filed it

CRASHED INTO CENTER MEDIAN OF HIGHWIND. FUEL SELECTOR FOUND IN OFF POSITION. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS HEADING WESTBOUND TOWARD SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS AIRPORT FOR LANDING. SEVERAL WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE IN THE AIR JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ONE WITNESS SAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCENDING IN STEPS. THE AIRPLANE TURNED SO THAT ITS WINGS WERE STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. THE AIRPLANE THEN ROLLED SO THAT THE WINGS WERE NO LONGER SIDEWAYS, BUT THE RIGHT WING WAS LOWER. THE AIRPLANE THEN STRUCK THE GROUND. ANOTHER WITNESS SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS 'IN A VERY STEEP ANGLE.' AS THE AIRPLANE CAME CLOSE TO THE GROUND, IT WAS IN A RIGHT BANK. THEN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND WITH ITS RIGHT WING AND RIGHT LANDING GEAR AT THE SAME TIME. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE 'OFF' POSITION. NO OTHER ANOMALIES WERE OBSERVED.

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 CHI98LA076Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportChesterfield, MOthe pilot's failure to position the fuel selector to the proper fuel tank which led to fuel starvation.Dec 31, 1997 · Substantial damage