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20061027024059I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech S35 · Augusta, KS · October 27, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 27, 2006 · 13:25 local
Place
Augusta, KS
Airport
Augusta Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8945U
Reported as
Beech S35
Reported engine
Continental IO520*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,289 total1,556 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N8945URegistered now · Beech S35S/N D-7923 · Built 1965Airframe modelBeech S35Engine 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) The pilot and one passenger departed on a clear day into a 30 knot wind on runway 36 from Augusta, KS enroute planned IFR to Iowa on personal business. Shortly after takeoff the pilot noted the fuel flow down to 16/GAL/HR and thought he smelled fuel. The pilot leveled at approx. 300 to 500 ft. AGL with the fuel flow now noted at 12/GAL/HR. The pilot then turned around reducing the throttle intending to land downwind at Augusta; ground speed however was too fast as he was already halfway down the runway and at approx. 50 to 80 ft. high. The pilot aborted the landing and was able to extend his flight past a ravine and pond, closed the throttle and landed approximately 3/4 of a mile south of the runway at the top of a pasture. The nose wheel broke off near the end of the landing roll and the nose gear strut subsequently failed with the aircraft stopping in the upright position, nose on the ground. The pilot and passenger were not hurt and the aircraft received minor damage. The pilot claimed a decreasing loss of fuel flow and a strong fuel smell throughout the event. The pilot stated that the fuel boost pump was never turned on. The pilot made no specific statement about the mixture or propeller.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED ON A CLEAR DAY INTO A 30 KNOT WIND ON RUNWAY 36 FROM AUGUSTA, KS ENROUTE PLANNED IFR TO IOWA ON PERSONAL BUSINESS. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT NOTED THE FUEL FLOW DOWN TO 16/GAL/HR AND THOUGHT HE SMELLED FUEL. THE PILOT LEVELED AT APPROX. 300 TO 500 FT. AGL WITH THE FUEL FLOW NOW NOTED AT 12/GAL/HR. THE PILOT THEN TURNED AROUND REDUCING THE THROTTLE INTENDING TO LAND DOWNWIND AT AUGUSTA; GROUND SPEED HOWEVER WAS TOO FAST AS HE WAS ALREADY HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY AND AT APPROX. 50 TO 80 FT. HIGH. THE PILOT ABORTED THE LANDING AND WAS ABLE TO EXTEND HIS FLIGHT PAST A RAVINE AND POND, CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND LANDED APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF A MILE SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY AT THE TOP OF A PASTURE. THE NOSE WHEEL BROKE OFF NEAR THE END OF THE LANDING ROLL AND THE NOSE GEAR STRUT SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED WITH THE AIRCRAFT STOPPING IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION, NOSE ON THE GROUND. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT HURT AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT CLAIMED A DECREASING LOSS OF FUEL FLOW AND A STRONG FUEL SMELL THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS NEVER TURNED ON. THE PILOT MADE NO SPECIFIC STATEMENT ABOUT THE MIXTURE OR PROPELLER.