20070629016229I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech H35 · San Rafael, CA · June 29, 2007

Date: June 29, 2007 · 13:05 local
Place: San Rafael, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N555VB
Reported as: Beech H35
Reported engine: Continental O470G
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 13,000 total250 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N555VBRegistration cancelled Aug 27, 2013 · Beech H35S/N D-5030 · Built 1957 Airframe modelBeech H35 Engine modelContinental O-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) The pilot privacy data omitted took off from CA35, the aircraft was pre-flighted and fuel load was confirmed as main tanks full and aux tanks 3 gallons each prior to the flight. After a normal take-off and reaching cruise a fuel smell was noticed. The pilot checked the systems that could be checked inflight. The smell persisted and the pilot shut down all electrical power. The engine quit, a re-start was attempted and the engine would not start. The pilot chose to make an off airport landing with the gear in the up position. The aircraft was landed safely with minimum damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK OFF FROM CA35, THE AIRCRAFT WAS PRE-FLIGHTED AND FUEL LOAD WAS CONFIRMED AS MAIN TANKS FULL AND AUX TANKS 3 GALLONS EACH PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. AFTER A NORMAL TAKE-OFF AND REACHING CRUISE A FUEL SMELL WAS NOTICED. THE PILOT CHECKED THE SYSTEMS THAT COULD BE CHECKED INFLIGHT. THE SMELL PERSISTED AND THE PILOT SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. THE ENGINE QUIT, A RE-START WAS ATTEMPTED AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE PILOT CHOSE TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING WITH THE GEAR IN THE UP POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED SAFELY WITH MINIMUM DAMAGE.