What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot stated that he ran the left fuel tank until engine quit. Then switched to right tank that held approx. 22 gal. Of fuel. Engine did not respond to switch of tanks. Then checked selector and detent to determine that he had switched to right tank. Switched on boost pump. Engine still did not respond. Pilot then decided to put a/c on ground with flaps and gear in the up position. Struck fence with tail and slid to stop on dirt road with tail of a/c out over a canal. (.4) on January 10, 2001, at 1307 hours mountain standard time, a Beech V35B, N4002A, sustained substantial damage when it lost power and landed in a field approximately 5 miles east of Falcon field, Mesa, Arizona. The aircraft was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 by a commercial pilot, who along with one passenger, suffered minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which departed from marana northwest regional airport about 1200. A federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector from the scottsdale, Arizona, flight standards district office responded to the accident site and interv iewed the pilot and examined the airplane. The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight using the left fuel tank when the engine lost power. He switched to the right tank and turned on the boost pump but was unable to restart the engine and landed gear up in a canal striking a fence. The FAA inspector reported that the left fuel tank contained about 1 quart of fuel and the right tank was approximately 1/2 full. The airplane was recovered to an aircraft storage facility. A vented fuel tank was connected to the fuel selector valve inlet for the left tank. With left tank selected, the engine started, and was run for approximately 5 minutes.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE RAN THE LEFT FUEL TANK UNTIL ENGINE QUIT. THEN SWITCHED TO RIGHT TANK THAT HELD APPROX. 22 GAL. OF FUEL. ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND TO SWITCH OF TANKS. THEN CHECKED SELECTOR AND DETENT TO DETERMINE THAT HE HAD SWITCHED TO RIGHT TANK. SWITCHED ON BOOST PUMP. ENGINE STILL DID NOT RESPOND. PILOT THEN DECIDED TO PUT A/C ON GROUND WITH FLAPS AND GEAR IN THE UP POSITION. STRUCK FENCE WITH TAIL AND SLID TO STOP ON DIRT ROAD WITH TAIL OF A/C OUT OVER A CANAL. (.4) ON JANUARY 10, 2001, AT 1307 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH V35B, N4002A, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT LOST POWER AND LANDED IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES EAST OF FALCON FIELD, MESA, ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, WHO ALONG WITH ONE PASSENGER, SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED FROM MARANA NORTHWEST REGIONAL AIRPORT ABOUT 1200. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR FROM THE SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AND INTERV IEWED THE PILOT AND EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT USING THE LEFT FUEL TANK WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK AND TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND LANDED GEAR UP IN A CANAL STRIKING A FENCE. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK CONTAINED ABOUT 1 QUART OF FUEL AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 FULL. THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED TO AN AIRCRAFT STORAGE FACILITY. A VENTED FUEL TANK WAS CONNECTED TO THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE INLET FOR THE LEFT TANK. WITH LEFT TANK SELECTED, THE ENGINE STARTED, AND WAS RUN FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.