# Accident 20070808019909A: Beech 77, Bloomington, IN, August 8, 2007 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 8, 2007, 16:50 local time - Place: Bloomington, IN - Airport: Monroe County - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.1458° N, 86.6167° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1458&lon=-86.6167&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1837Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1837Y-2017-07-07) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech 77 (registry code 1153007, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-77) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 77 - Reported engine: LYC O235* - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 202 total, 50 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI07CA262](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI07CA262) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070808019909A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) N1837Y PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED BLOOMINGTON, IN (BMG) AIRPORT RUNWAY 17 TO THE NORTH, THEN TURNED TO THE WEST. AFTER ROLL OUT FROM THE TURN THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOTED THE FUEL INDICATED ON BOARD WAS LESS THAN HE REMEMBERED AS REPORTED IN THE INDIANA STATE POLICE REPORT. AFTER CHECKING THE FUEL THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTINUED WESTERLY AND ATTEMPTED THE APPROACH FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 35. DURING DESCENT AT 1/2 MILE OUT THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALLED "MAY DAY...MAY DAY." AS THE ENGINE QUIT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LINED UP ON A GRASS FIELD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER COMMITMENT TO THE PLACE OF LANDING THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOTICED A LARGE ROLL OF HAY IN HIS LINE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SLIPPED TO THE LEFT AT WHICH TIME THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE PLANTED CORN. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTINUED TO SLIP LEFT UNTIL THE LEFT WING WAS IN THE CORN. ONCE THE FUSELAGE WAS OVER THE CORN FIELD AND CONTINUED TO DESCEND, THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED IN THE FIELD. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXITED THE AIRPLANE AND WALKED TO THE AIRPORT TO CALL EMERGENCY AGENCIES. N1837Y: AS THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INVERTED, IT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. AS THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND MAJOR DAMAGE WAS DONE INCLUDING SPAR DAMAGE TO BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WING AS WELL AS THE VERTICAL SPAR. THE COCKPIT AND CABIN HAVE EXTENSIVE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE INVERTED CRASH. DURING THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION THE FOLLOWING WAS NOTED: ONE PROP BLADE WAS BENT BACK 45 DEGREES AT MID SPAR AND THE OTHER WAS BENT BACK 10 DEGREES AT MID SPAR, INDICATING THE ENGINE WAS NOT UNDER POWER AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE ENGINE OIL WAS AT PROPER LEVEL AND HAD BEEN CHANGED BY THE FBO THE DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ENGINE OIL WAS CLEAN, STICK INDICATED FULL AT 6 QUARTS. THE AIR FILTER WAS DIRTY BUT NOT CLOGGED, AIR BOX WAS CLEAR OF OBSTRUCTION. FUEL SYSTEM INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL USED IS CONSISTENT WITH AVIATION GRADE FUEL (COLOR). THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP CONTAINED SOME RESIDUAL FUEL (NOT FULL). NO FUEL IN THE LINE BETWEEN THE CARBURETOR AND FUEL PUMP. THE OUT LINE OF THE FUEL PUMP CONTAINED A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE CARBURETOR BOWL CONTAINED 5 TO 10 DROPS OF FUEL;THE LEFT TANK CONTAINED NO FUEL AND HAD BLUE STAINS AROUND THE DRAIN. RIGHT WING TANK CONTAINED A CUP OF FUEL. WING TANK PLACARDS INDICATED .5 GALLON UNUSABLE FUEL IN EACH WING TANK. AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE FUEL ON BOARD TO SUSTAIN POWER. THERE WAS CONTINUITY BETWEEN PROP, ENGINE CRANK AND ACCESSORIES. COMPRESSION OF CYLINDERS WAS VERIFIED, AS WELL AS IGNITION SPARK. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, FLAPS WERE FULL UP AND ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE VERIFIED FOR FULL TRAVEL AND CONTINUITY. POWER LEVER WAS FULL OPEN, AND MIXTURE CONTROL AND CARB HEAT WERE AT MID TRAVEL. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO WING SPARS AND VERTICAL SPAR AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO COCKPIT AND CABIN AREA. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI07CA262](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI07CA262), Aug 8, 2007: Beech BE-77 (N1837Y), Bloomington, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight. ## Other reports on N1837Y (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19880406019959I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880406019959I), Apr 6, 1988: Beech 77 (N1837Y), Arkadelphia, AR, Minor damage. Hard bounce on a crosswind landing. Landed in a nose down attitude. Damage to nose gear and propeller. - [Incident 19861230076729I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19861230076729I), Dec 30, 1986: Beech 77 (N1837Y), Lonoke, AR, Minor damage. Smoke and then flames from instrument panel extinguished before emergency landing. Reverse current diode shorted. - [Incident 19850516024229I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850516024229I), May 16, 1985: Beech 77 (N1837Y), Little Rock, AR, Minor damage. Student could not handle crosswind after return from solo flight. Touched down on nose wheel breaking it off. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.