# Accident 19990208001229A: Beech H35, Lincoln, NE, February 8, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 8, 1999, 19:10 local time
- Place: Lincoln, NE
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.9093° N, 96.7900° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9093&lon=-96.7900&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5540D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5540D-2014-09-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech H35 (registry code 1151520, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-h35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH H35
- Reported engine: CONT O470G
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 247 total, 195 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA084) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990208001229A

## Narrative

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

PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ACFT HAD "LOST SOMETHING" SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF AND SAID HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. THE ACFT LANDED ON HIGHLANDS GOLF COURSE AND SUBSEQUENTLY SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 8, 1999, AT 1910 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 35, N5540D, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT HAD THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE DURING AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRPLANE HAD DEPARTED FROM THE LINCOLN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND WAS EN ROUTE TO WAHOO, NEBRASKA. (.4) THE PILOT LAST PREFLIGHTED THE AIRPLANE 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT DAY. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT HE FLEW FROM WAHOO, NE, TO LINCOLN AND WAS RETURNING TO WAHOO. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FORM LINCOLN, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2,000 TO 2,500 FEET AGL THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED ON A GOLF COURSE NEAR THE AIRPORT. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY. THE RIGHT MAIN AND AUXILIARY TANKS CONTAINED FUEL. T   HE PILOT STATED THAT HE USED THE LEFT MAIN TANK FOR THE TAKEOFF.

## 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 CHI99LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA084), Feb 9, 1999: Beech 35 (N5540D), Lincoln, NE, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to perform an aircraft preflight which resulted in him selecting a fuel tank which had insufficient fuel for the flight and the subsequent fuel starvation.

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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