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20110813027219I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Beech A35 · Melissa, TX · August 13, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 13, 2011 · 13:08 local
Place
Melissa, TX
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N705B
Reported as
Beech A35
Reported engine
Continental E185 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,620 total3 in this make and model41 in the last 90 days
N705BRegistered now · Beech A35S/N D-1710Airframe modelBeech A35Engine 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.

On August 13, 2011 on an VFR flight for N705B, a single engine Beechcraft bonanza BE-35. At the controls was pilot privacy data omitted. While in flight from caldwell (krwv) Texas, to goldsby Oklahoma david jay perry airport (1K4). He had just purchased the aircraft from an individual from caldwell Texas. This was the first flight for him in the aircraft for a long cross country. The aircraft had been flown on a short leg from giddens to coldwell. privacy data omitted Encountered engine problems over the terrel airport. He was flying at an altitude of 7,500 feet at the time of engine trouble. He had stated that he had been in the air for 2.1 hours at the time of the engine failure. He said everything was normal for takeoff and climb. He stated that he had taken off on the left tank initially and flew for 30 minutes verified by the clock then switched to the right tank 1 hour plus then switched back to left tank and checked fuel guage which was not correct. He switched to transfer from left tip to left tank then after about 5 to 10 minutes the engine started to loose power. He continued to woogle pump while descending and calling approach control looking for the nearest field. He chose to fly south into the wind. He realized that he could not make mckinney airport (ktki). He landed the aircraft in a freshly cut hay field off of highway 5 approximatley 7 miles nnw of mckinney airport. After landing he checked the fuel tanks and found that the right tank was empty and the left tank was completly full. After more research it appeared that the fuel selector was not working properly and when selected to the left tank it did not allow for the aircraft to burn fuel from that tank. He was able to transfer fuel from the tip tank into the right tank. At that point he was able to restart the aircraft. After a mechanic looked over the aircraft the aircraft was flown out of the hay field and positioned to mckinney airport (ktki) Texas for further maintenance.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 13, 2011 ON AN VFR FLIGHT FOR N705B, A SINGLE ENGINE BEECHCRAFT BONANZA BE-35. AT THE CONTROLS WAS PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WHILE IN FLIGHT FROM CALDWELL (KRWV) TEXAS, TO GOLDSBY OKLAHOMA DAVID JAY PERRY AIRPORT (1K4). HE HAD JUST PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT FROM AN INDIVIDUAL FROM CALDWELL TEXAS. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOR HIM IN THE AIRCRAFT FOR A LONG CROSS COUNTRY. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FLOWN ON A SHORT LEG FROM GIDDENS TO COLDWELL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ENCOUNTERED ENGINE PROBLEMS OVER THE TERREL AIRPORT. HE WAS FLYING AT AN ALTITUDE OF 7,500 FEET AT THE TIME OF ENGINE TROUBLE. HE HAD STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR 2.1 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. HE SAID EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL FOR TAKEOFF AND CLIMB. HE STATED THAT HE HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE LEFT TANK INITIALLY AND FLEW FOR 30 MINUTES VERIFIED BY THE CLOCK THEN SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK 1 HOUR PLUS THEN SWITCHED BACK TO LEFT TANK AND CHECKED FUEL GUAGE WHICH WAS NOT CORRECT. HE SWITCHED TO TRANSFER FROM LEFT TIP TO LEFT TANK THEN AFTER ABOUT 5 TO 10 MINUTES THE ENGINE STARTED TO LOOSE POWER. HE CONTINUED TO WOOGLE PUMP WHILE DESCENDING AND CALLING APPROACH CONTROL LOOKING FOR THE NEAREST FIELD. HE CHOSE TO FLY SOUTH INTO THE WIND. HE REALIZED THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE MCKINNEY AIRPORT (KTKI). HE LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A FRESHLY CUT HAY FIELD OFF OF HIGHWAY 5 APPROXIMATLEY 7 MILES NNW OF MCKINNEY AIRPORT. AFTER LANDING HE CHECKED THE FUEL TANKS AND FOUND THAT THE RIGHT TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE LEFT TANK WAS COMPLETLY FULL. AFTER MORE RESEARCH IT APPEARED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND WHEN SELECTED TO THE LEFT TANK IT DID NOT ALLOW FOR THE AIRCRAFT TO BURN FUEL FROM THAT TANK. HE WAS ABLE TO TRANSFER FUEL FROM THE TIP TANK INTO THE RIGHT TANK. AT THAT POINT HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER A MECHANIC LOOKED OVER THE AIRCRAFT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN OUT OF THE HAY FIELD AND POSITIONED TO MCKINNEY AIRPORT (KTKI) TEXAS FOR FURTHER MAINTENANCE.