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20060510006339I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Beech 35BEECH · Bakersfield, CA · May 10, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 10, 2006 · 17:30 local
Place
Bakersfield, CA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N3414V
Reported as
Beech 35BEECH
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,000 total
N3414VRegistration cancelled Mar 13, 2018 · Beech 35S/N D-893 · Built 1947Airframe modelBeech 35Engine 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) The pilot, sole occupant, departed exeter, CA on a VFR flight to camarillo, CA believing he had sufficient fuel. While proceeding south of Bakersfield, CA he noticed both fuel guages indicated empty, diverted to a small private strip near Bakersfield, CA, and landed without incident at 1730PDT. He determined that he was either out of or nearly out of fuel. Law enforcement responded and notified FAA. The pilot spend the night at a motel and obtained 20 gallons of avgas the next day. He then told personnel at the strip that he was intending to land at camarillo in 30 minutes and was observed to takeoff at approx 1000PDT. During this flight, he diverted to santa paula, CA due to low overcast at his original planned destination. He then did not contact family members who became concerned when he failed to arrive as planned. Eventually he contacted them some 2 or 3 hours later. FAA investigation determined the pilot did not hold a medical certificate and had been denied on his last application in 2004. The pilot was also unable to state his recent flight experience or flight review status.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, DEPARTED EXETER, CA ON A VFR FLIGHT TO CAMARILLO, CA BELIEVING HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL. WHILE PROCEEDING SOUTH OF BAKERSFIELD, CA HE NOTICED BOTH FUEL GUAGES INDICATED EMPTY, DIVERTED TO A SMALL PRIVATE STRIP NEAR BAKERSFIELD, CA, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT 1730PDT. HE DETERMINED THAT HE WAS EITHER OUT OF OR NEARLY OUT OF FUEL. LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONDED AND NOTIFIED FAA. THE PILOT SPEND THE NIGHT AT A MOTEL AND OBTAINED 20 GALLONS OF AVGAS THE NEXT DAY. HE THEN TOLD PERSONNEL AT THE STRIP THAT HE WAS INTENDING TO LAND AT CAMARILLO IN 30 MINUTES AND WAS OBSERVED TO TAKEOFF AT APPROX 1000PDT. DURING THIS FLIGHT, HE DIVERTED TO SANTA PAULA, CA DUE TO LOW OVERCAST AT HIS ORIGINAL PLANNED DESTINATION. HE THEN DID NOT CONTACT FAMILY MEMBERS WHO BECAME CONCERNED WHEN HE FAILED TO ARRIVE AS PLANNED. EVENTUALLY HE CONTACTED THEM SOME 2 OR 3 HOURS LATER. FAA INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE PILOT DID NOT HOLD A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AND HAD BEEN DENIED ON HIS LAST APPLICATION IN 2004. THE PILOT WAS ALSO UNABLE TO STATE HIS RECENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE OR FLIGHT REVIEW STATUS.