20040512034299A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech K35 · Lake Worth, FL · May 12, 2004

Date: May 12, 2004 · 13:50 local
Place: Lake Worth, FL
Phase of flight: Forced Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N551PK
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA04LA082
Reported as: Beech K35
Reported engine: Continental IO470*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,300 total

N551PKRegistration cancelled May 10, 2013 · Beech K35S/N D-5797 · Built 1959 Airframe modelBeech K35 Engine modelContinental I0-470 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 entering downwind for intended landing at palm beach county park (klna) pilot lost power and executed emergency landing in adjacent john prince park, landing on driving range striking nose strut on divot in terrain and flipping aircraft over on its back. Investigation indicated aircraft had fuel seeping from inverted fuel caps. Pilot suffered cracked neck vertebrae and was taken to neighboring jfk medical center. Test of fuel boost pump revealed nominal operation on both high and low settings.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE ENTERING DOWNWIND FOR INTENDED LANDING AT PALM BEACH COUNTY PARK (KLNA) PILOT LOST POWER AND EXECUTED EMERGENCY LANDING IN ADJACENT JOHN PRINCE PARK, LANDING ON DRIVING RANGE STRIKING NOSE STRUT ON DIVOT IN TERRAIN AND FLIPPING AIRCRAFT OVER ON ITS BACK. INVESTIGATION INDICATED AIRCRAFT HAD FUEL SEEPING FROM INVERTED FUEL CAPS. PILOT SUFFERED CRACKED NECK VERTEBRAE AND WAS TAKEN TO NEIGHBORING JFK MEDICAL CENTER. TEST OF FUEL BOOST PUMP REVEALED NOMINAL OPERATION ON BOTH HIGH AND LOW SETTINGS.

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 MIA04LA082Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLake Worth, FLThe loss of engine power for undetermined reasons which resulted in a forced landing, collision with a berm during landing rollout, and the airplane nosing over.May 12, 2004 · Substantial damage