What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On November 28, 1999, at 1108 central standard time, a Beech BE35 airplane, N444D, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a forced landing following a loss of power near Stillwater, Oklahoma. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The private pilot sustained serious injuries, and his passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from the Stillwater municipal airport and was destined for blackwell, Oklahoma. According to the pilot's spouse, the pilot reported losing engine power shortly after departing the Stillwater municipal airport. According to the FAA inspector, who visited the accident site, the airplane came to rest in an open field approximately 35 yards south of the initial ground scar, facing a magnetic heading of 210 degrees. The FAA inspector stated that one propeller blade was undamged and the other was bent aft 90 degrees. The right wing, empennage, and cabin area sustained structural damage. The right fuel tank was found empty, and the left fuel tank was found 3/4 full of fuel. The fuel selector was found positioned on the right fuel tank, and the fuel quantity indicator selector was positioned to indicate the quantity in the left tank. (.4) during takeoff climb, while climbing through 1,600 feet AGL, and shortly after the pilot adjusted the engine power for cruise climb, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot adjusted the throttle, mixture, and propeller controls, switched the fuel selector from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank, and manually pumped the fuel boost pump. Engine power was not restored. During the ensuing forced landing, the airplane impacted hilly terrain. A test flow of the pressure carburetor revealed that it would not flow within its specified limits. Disassembly of the pressure carburetor revealed that a few of the diaphragms were dry rotted, hardened, and fuel was found in the air section of the discharge diaphragm. The manufacture dates stamped on the fuel and air diaphragms of the regulator section of the carburetor were October 1958 and November 1953 respectively. It could not be determined when the carburetor had last been overhauled.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON NOVEMBER 28, 1999, AT 1108 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH BE35 AIRPLANE, N444D, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER NEAR STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND HIS PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE STILLWATER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AND WAS DESTINED FOR BLACKWELL, OKLAHOMA. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S SPOUSE, THE PILOT REPORTED LOSING ENGINE POWER SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING THE STILLWATER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO VISITED THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN AN OPEN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 35 YARDS SOUTH OF THE INITIAL GROUND SCAR, FACING A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 210 DEGREES. THE FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS UNDAMGED AND THE OTHER WAS BENT AFT 90 DEGREES. THE RIGHT WING, EMPENNAGE, AND CABIN AREA SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS FOUND EMPTY, AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS FOUND 3/4 FULL OF FUEL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, AND THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO INDICATE THE QUANTITY IN THE LEFT TANK. (.4) DURING TAKEOFF CLIMB, WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 1,600 FEET AGL, AND SHORTLY AFTER THE PILOT ADJUSTED THE ENGINE POWER FOR CRUISE CLIMB, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT ADJUSTED THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE, AND PROPELLER CONTROLS, SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, AND MANUALLY PUMPED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP. ENGINE POWER WAS NOT RESTORED. DURING THE ENSUING FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED HILLY TERRAIN. A TEST FLOW OF THE PRESSURE CARBURETOR REVEALED THAT IT WOULD NOT FLOW WITHIN ITS SPECIFIED LIMITS. DISASSEMBLY OF THE PRESSURE CARBURETOR REVEALED THAT A FEW OF THE DIAPHRAGMS WERE DRY ROTTED, HARDENED, AND FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE AIR SECTION OF THE DISCHARGE DIAPHRAGM. THE MANUFACTURE DATES STAMPED ON THE FUEL AND AIR DIAPHRAGMS OF THE REGULATOR SECTION OF THE CARBURETOR WERE OCTOBER 1958 AND NOVEMBER 1953 RESPECTIVELY. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHEN THE CARBURETOR HAD LAST BEEN OVERHAULED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N444D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.