# Accident 19980324009399A: Beech S35, Medford, OR, March 24, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 24, 1998, 13:02 local time
- Place: Medford, OR
- Airport: Medford-Jackson County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Missed Approach IFR
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.2807° N, 122.8999° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2807&lon=-122.8999&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3MG (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BEECH S35
- Reported engine: CONT IO520BA
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 466 total, 293 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA052) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980324009399A

## Narrative

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

ENGINE QUIT ON FINAL. CRASHED SHORT OF RUNWAY. FUEL SELECTOR ON EMPTY TANK FUEL IN OTHER. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ON FINAL, AFTER BEING CLEARED TO LAND, THE ENGINE QUIT WITHOUT WARNING.  ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN ENGINE POWER, WHICH INCLUDED SWITCHING FUEL TANKS, WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ONTO SOFT TERRAIN 1/4 MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.  AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE, 23 OUNCES OF FUEL WERE FOUND IN THE LEFT TANK AND 14 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE IN THE RIGHT TANK.  THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE POWER LOSS WAS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, AND STATED THAT NO MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT.  HE STATED THAT AT ABOUT THE TIME HE WAS TO HAVE SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK, HE BECAME OCCUPIED WITH DONNING OXYGEN ON HIMSELF AND HIS CHILDREN, AND THAT SHORTLY AFTERWARD HIS DAUGHTER STARTED NOT FEELING WELL AND COMPLAINED OF HEADACHES.  THE PILOT STATED THAT THIS SITUATION DISTRACTED HIM FROM HIS OTHER PILOT DUTIES.  THE ENGINE POWER LOSS OCCURRED ABOUT 45 MINUTES AFTER THIS EVENT.                                          (-23) N3MG, BEECH BONANZA, EXPERIENCE ENGINE FAILURE AND CRASHED HALF MILE                                                             SHORT OF RUNWAY, ON AIRPORT PROPERTY, BUT OUTSIDE OF FENCED AREA. THREE PEOPLE ON BOARD; PILOT AND TWO CHILDREN.  NO INJURIES.  SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  AIRCRAFT WAS IFR.  INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT REVEALED 23 OUNCES OF FUEL IN LEFT TANK; 20 GALLONS OF FUEL IN RIGHT TANK.  I INTERVIEWED FIREMAN, FIRST ON THE SCENE, WHO STATED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED WHEN HE SHUT OFF THE FUEL.  FURTHER INVESTIGATION WITH PILOT AND FOLLOW-UP WITH OPERATIONS INSPECTOR REVEALED MISMANAGEMENT OF FUEL.

## 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 SEA98LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA052), Mar 24, 1998: Beech S35 (N3MG), Medford, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadequate fuel management. Factors were the pilot's diverted attention and soft terrain in the forced landing area.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.