# Incident 20091225053539I: Beech V35B, Alexandria, LA, December 25, 2009

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 25, 2009, 14:00 local time
- Place: Alexandria, LA
- Airport: Esler
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.3949° N, 92.2958° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ESLER RGNL (ESF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.3949&lon=-92.2958&mi=10
- Aircraft: N789WF, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N789WF-2019-03-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech V35B (registry code 1151548, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-v35b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH V35B
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 412 total, 171 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20091225053539I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

HE WAS DESCENDING FROM CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 6,000 FEET FOR 4,000 FEET WHEN HE HEARD A SOUND THAT RESEMBLED A CRUNCH. AFTER SURVEYING THE AREA HE NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT HAND FUEL TIP TANK HAD IMPLODED. HE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN RUNNING ON THAT TANK FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FLIGHT. WHEN HE SAW THAT THE TANK HAD IMPLODED, HE SWITCHED TO THE MAIN TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY THE FAILURE OCCURRED. HE LANDED AT ESLER FIELD (ESF) IN ALEXANDRIA, LA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.THE AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED TO THE ALEXANDRIA INTERNATIONAL (AEX) AIRPORT FOR REPAIRS. AN INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND THE TANK REVEALED AN INSECT NEST IN THE FUEL TANK'S VENT TUBE. THE NEST WAS SITUATED IN THE VENT TUBE IN SUCH A WAY AS TO PRECLUDE THE PILOT FROM SEEING THE OBSTRUCTION ON A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.

## Other reports on N789WF (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20150904015519A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150904015519A), Sep 4, 2015: Beech V35B (N789WF), Wilmington, NC, Substantial damage. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff on runway 06 from taxiway juliet at the kilm airport. The pilot stated that during rotation the nose of the aircraft came…

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.

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