20060306006219A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Beech J35 · Holland, MI · March 6, 2006

Date: March 6, 2006 · 20:53 local
Place: Holland, MI
Airport: Tulip City Airport
Phase of flight: Forced Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N8271D
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI06FA090
Reported as: Beech J35
Reported engine: Continental IO520BA
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,400 total

N8271DRegistration cancelled Nov 19, 2014 · Beech J35S/N D-5404 · Built 1958 Airframe modelBeech J35 Engine modelContinental IO-520 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) Aircraft reported by passenger in back seat to have lost power based on pilots comments. Aircraft landed in field short of airport boundary and impacted ditch along side of road. Evidence of post impact fuel leakage at accident site, fuel selector was found in left main position. On scene investigation showed that the fuel line was intact from engine to left main tank, which was empty with no visible impact damage that would have allowed fuel to escape. Both pilots received fatal injuries in accident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT REPORTED BY PASSENGER IN BACK SEAT TO HAVE LOST POWER BASED ON PILOTS COMMENTS. AIRCRAFT LANDED IN FIELD SHORT OF AIRPORT BOUNDARY AND IMPACTED DITCH ALONG SIDE OF ROAD. EVIDENCE OF POST IMPACT FUEL LEAKAGE AT ACCIDENT SITE, FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN LEFT MAIN POSITION. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS INTACT FROM ENGINE TO LEFT MAIN TANK, WHICH WAS EMPTY WITH NO VISIBLE IMPACT DAMAGE THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED FUEL TO ESCAPE. BOTH PILOTS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES IN ACCIDENT.

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 CHI06FA090Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportHolland, MIA lossof engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's improper fuel system management and failure to select a tank containing fuel. A factor was the dark night conditions.Mar 7, 2006 · Substantial damage