19990905026249A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech 35-A33 · Big Bear, CA · September 5, 1999

Date
September 5, 1999 · 14:30 local
Place
Big Bear, CA
Airport
Big Bear City Airport
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N849B
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX99LA296
Reported as
Beech 35A33
Reported engine
Continental IO470K
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
700 total120 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

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.

(.19) On September 5, 1999, about 1430 hours pacific daylight time, a Beech 35-A33, N849B, collided with power lines and terrain during a forced landing near the Big Bear airport, Big Bear city, California. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot was not injured. The personal cross-country flight, conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, originated at the torrance, California, airport about 1350 and was en route to the Big Bear airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that while he was on final approach to runway 08, a helicopter was taking off from the parallel taxiway. He reported that the windsock was limp, but he experienced a sudden wind gust that pushed the airplane off the runway heading. When the pilot was at 30 to 50 feet AGL, with the landing gear down and the flaps set at 10 degrees, he decided to go around. He applied full power and after he gained sufficient altitude and a positive rate of climb, he raised the landing gear and flaps. He stated that about 600 to 700 feet AGL, the engine sputtered. The pilot reported that he reduced the thr ottle and the engine started back up again, then quit completely. The aircraft began losing altitude. About 400 feet AGL, the pilot turned toward an empty lot. The left wingtip collided with a series of power lines but the pilot was able to maintain directional control of the airplane. The aircraft came to rest in a field behind a row of homes on about 1/2 square acre of land. (.4)the pilot had the mixture leaned for cruise flight. After experiencing a sudden wind gust while landing that moved the airplane off the extended runway centerline, the pilot applied full power and performed a go-around. The pilot said the airplane had trouble climbing. About 600 to 700 feet AGL, the engine sputtered, then quit completely. When the pilot slightly enriched the mixture, the engine power returned momentarily. He applied more mixture, but the engine didn't respond and lost all power. While attempting to land in an empty lot, the left wingtip collided with a series of power lines. The airplane came to rest in a field. The fuel level was found to be about 1/2 to 3/4 full in both wing tanks. An examination of the engin e was conducted and no discrepancies were found. The record weather data listed the desity altitude as 9,000 feet at the time of the accident. The POH for the airplane stated that for a rough running engine or loss of engien power, the pilot should fully enrich the mixutre, and then lean as required. (-23) ptrs LAX99LA296

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1999, ABOUT 1430 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH 35-A33, N849B, COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES AND TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR THE BIG BEAR AIRPORT, BIG BEAR CITY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, ORIGINATED AT THE TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT ABOUT 1350 AND WAS EN ROUTE TO THE BIG BEAR AIRPORT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE HE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 08, A HELICOPTER WAS TAKING OFF FROM THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. HE REPORTED THAT THE WINDSOCK WAS LIMP, BUT HE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN WIND GUST THAT PUSHED THE AIRPLANE OFF THE RUNWAY HEADING. WHEN THE PILOT WAS AT 30 TO 50 FEET AGL, WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND THE FLAPS SET AT 10 DEGREES, HE DECIDED TO GO AROUND. HE APPLIED FULL POWER AND AFTER HE GAINED SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB, HE RAISED THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS. HE STATED THAT ABOUT 600 TO 700 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE REDUCED THE THR OTTLE AND THE ENGINE STARTED BACK UP AGAIN, THEN QUIT COMPLETELY. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE. ABOUT 400 FEET AGL, THE PILOT TURNED TOWARD AN EMPTY LOT. THE LEFT WINGTIP COLLIDED WITH A SERIES OF POWER LINES BUT THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A FIELD BEHIND A ROW OF HOMES ON ABOUT 1/2 SQUARE ACRE OF LAND. (.4)THE PILOT HAD THE MIXTURE LEANED FOR CRUISE FLIGHT. AFTER EXPERIENCING A SUDDEN WIND GUST WHILE LANDING THAT MOVED THE AIRPLANE OFF THE EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTERLINE, THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER AND PERFORMED A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE HAD TROUBLE CLIMBING. ABOUT 600 TO 700 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED, THEN QUIT COMPLETELY. WHEN THE PILOT SLIGHTLY ENRICHED THE MIXTURE, THE ENGINE POWER RETURNED MOMENTARILY. HE APPLIED MORE MIXTURE, BUT THE ENGINE DIDN'T RESPOND AND LOST ALL POWER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN AN EMPTY LOT, THE LEFT WINGTIP COLLIDED WITH A SERIES OF POWER LINES. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A FIELD. THE FUEL LEVEL WAS FOUND TO BE ABOUT 1/2 TO 3/4 FULL IN BOTH WING TANKS. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGIN E WAS CONDUCTED AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. THE RECORD WEATHER DATA LISTED THE DESITY ALTITUDE AS 9,000 FEET AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE POH FOR THE AIRPLANE STATED THAT FOR A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE OR LOSS OF ENGIEN POWER, THE PILOT SHOULD FULLY ENRICH THE MIXUTRE, AND THEN LEAN AS REQUIRED. (-23) PTRS LAX99LA296

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.