What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 27, 2016, about 11:25 eastern standard time a Beechcraft bonanza V35, N2714T, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Seymour, Indiana. The pilot and his passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed indianapolis metropolitan airport (ump). The flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
The pilot stated the he departed ump for a cross-country flight with approximately 40 gallons of fuel onboard. During level flight at 5500 MSL the pilot selected the right main fuel tank. Within 3 minutes, the pilot reported that the engine ?lurched? And he selected the left main fuel tank. The pilot reported that the engine ?lurching continued so he hit the high boost pump?. Multiple fuel tank selections were initiated but engine power was not restored.
The pilot conducted a forced landing on interstate 65 upon realizing that he was unable to reach the vectored airport. Upon touchdown, the airplane entered the median. The landing gear sunk in the soft soil. The aircraft came to rest upright and the pilot and passengers subsequently egressed.
The airplane was manufactured in 1967 and was equipped with one Continental tsio-520-D, 285-HP reciprocating engine, which accumulated 234 hours since overhaul. The airplane?s most recent annual inspection was completed on November 9, 2015, and as of the accident flight, had accumulated about 60 hours since that date.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent federal aviation administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued in December 15, 2014. He reported 1216 total hours of flight experience, of which 212 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.
Post accident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed substantial damage to the left rear spar and nose landing gear. There was no fuel observed in the left main wing tank; however, fuel quantity at the time of the accident was over half in the right main wing tank and one quarter in the left main wing tank. The aircraft was subsequently removed from the site and placed in a secure hangar at freeman field. The engine started after the second attempt, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously with no anomalies observed.
The pilot indicated that he had flown the accident airplane from nashville, Tennessee to the indianapolis metropolitan airport the previous week, and had fueled the aircraft in nashville, Tennessee. Fueling records were not provided by the operator.
The 11:45 weather observation at freeman field, located about 5 miles northwest of the accident site was not retrieved, weather was not a causal factor of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 27, 2016, ABOUT 11:25 EASTERN STANDARD TIME A BEECHCRAFT BONANZA V35, N2714T, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR SEYMOUR, INDIANA. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN AIRPORT (UMP). THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
THE PILOT STATED THE HE DEPARTED UMP FOR A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH APPROXIMATELY 40 GALLONS OF FUEL ONBOARD. DURING LEVEL FLIGHT AT 5500 MSL THE PILOT SELECTED THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK. WITHIN 3 MINUTES, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE ?LURCHED? AND HE SELECTED THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE ?LURCHING CONTINUED SO HE HIT THE HIGH BOOST PUMP?. MULTIPLE FUEL TANK SELECTIONS WERE INITIATED BUT ENGINE POWER WAS NOT RESTORED.
THE PILOT CONDUCTED A FORCED LANDING ON INTERSTATE 65 UPON REALIZING THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE VECTORED AIRPORT. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED THE MEDIAN. THE LANDING GEAR SUNK IN THE SOFT SOIL. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS SUBSEQUENTLY EGRESSED.
THE AIRPLANE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1967 AND WAS EQUIPPED WITH ONE CONTINENTAL TSIO-520-D, 285-HP RECIPROCATING ENGINE, WHICH ACCUMULATED 234 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL. THE AIRPLANE?S MOST RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON NOVEMBER 9, 2015, AND AS OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 60 HOURS SINCE THAT DATE.
THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH RATINGS FOR AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND, AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE. HIS MOST RECENT FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED IN DECEMBER 15, 2014. HE REPORTED 1216 TOTAL HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, OF WHICH 212 HOURS WERE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE MAKE AND MODEL.
POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR SPAR AND NOSE LANDING GEAR. THERE WAS NO FUEL OBSERVED IN THE LEFT MAIN WING TANK; HOWEVER, FUEL QUANTITY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS OVER HALF IN THE RIGHT MAIN WING TANK AND ONE QUARTER IN THE LEFT MAIN WING TANK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED FROM THE SITE AND PLACED IN A SECURE HANGAR AT FREEMAN FIELD. THE ENGINE STARTED AFTER THE SECOND ATTEMPT, ACCELERATED SMOOTHLY, AND RAN CONTINUOUSLY WITH NO ANOMALIES OBSERVED.
THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE FROM NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE TO THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN AIRPORT THE PREVIOUS WEEK, AND HAD FUELED THE AIRCRAFT IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. FUELING RECORDS WERE NOT PROVIDED BY THE OPERATOR.
THE 11:45 WEATHER OBSERVATION AT FREEMAN FIELD, LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS NOT RETRIEVED, WEATHER WAS NOT A CAUSAL FACTOR OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.