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20030831037629A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Beech F35 · Kingsport, TN · August 31, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 31, 2003 · 16:56 local
Place
Kingsport, TN
Phase of flight
Forced Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N4289B
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL03FA134
Reported as
Beech F35
Reported engine
Continental E2258
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
7,094 total2 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N4289BRegistration cancelled Sep 22, 2004 · Beech F35S/N D-4302 · Built 1955Airframe modelBeech F35Engine modelContinental E185 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) While doing traffic pattern work at tri, aircraft made 3 takeoffs and one low approach to runway 23. Active runway changed to 05 and at 1655:28 pilot called left downwind for 05, full stop. Aircraft crashed on final. Both flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. Investigation revealed aircraft impacted into the ground nose first, wing leading edges into the ground and wings predominantly vertical. The v-tail was folded horizontally to the right from the baggage compartment. The left seat, instructor pilot was ejected from the aircraft laying face down in his seat several feet to the right front of the wreckage and the left seat student pilot was pinned horizontally between the remains of the cockpit and the impacted fuselage. Investigation revealed grass burned by avgas extended from the ruptured tank of the right wing and no grass burning on the left wing indicating the left tank had been run dry. Witness who observed crash stated the engine was sputtering and finally quit. Fuel selector valve was located on the left side where only the instructor could have switched to the right tank. Aircraft went into an apparent stall spin after engine loss and impacted as previously detailed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE DOING TRAFFIC PATTERN WORK AT TRI, AIRCRAFT MADE 3 TAKEOFFS AND ONE LOW APPROACH TO RUNWAY 23. ACTIVE RUNWAY CHANGED TO 05 AND AT 1655:28 PILOT CALLED LEFT DOWNWIND FOR 05, FULL STOP. AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON FINAL. BOTH FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE FATALLY INJURED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED AIRCRAFT IMPACTED INTO THE GROUND NOSE FIRST, WING LEADING EDGES INTO THE GROUND AND WINGS PREDOMINANTLY VERTICAL. THE V-TAIL WAS FOLDED HORIZONTALLY TO THE RIGHT FROM THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE LEFT SEAT, INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS EJECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT LAYING FACE DOWN IN HIS SEAT SEVERAL FEET TO THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE WRECKAGE AND THE LEFT SEAT STUDENT PILOT WAS PINNED HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN THE REMAINS OF THE COCKPIT AND THE IMPACTED FUSELAGE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED GRASS BURNED BY AVGAS EXTENDED FROM THE RUPTURED TANK OF THE RIGHT WING AND NO GRASS BURNING ON THE LEFT WING INDICATING THE LEFT TANK HAD BEEN RUN DRY. WITNESS WHO OBSERVED CRASH STATED THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING AND FINALLY QUIT. FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE WHERE ONLY THE INSTRUCTOR COULD HAVE SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK. AIRCRAFT WENT INTO AN APPARENT STALL SPIN AFTER ENGINE LOSS AND IMPACTED AS PREVIOUSLY DETAILED.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB ATL03FA134Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportKingsport, TNThe certified flight instructor's mismanagement of the fuel, resulting in a loss of engine power and his failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a stall.Aug 31, 2003 · Destroyed

Other reports on N4289B · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19781216025369ITo Aborted (Fixed Wing) · Morristown, NJLanding gear selector inadvertently left in up position. Gear collapsed on takeoff. Gear warning horn inop.Dec 16, 1978 · Minor damage