# Incident 20160404005539I: Beech 35, Williamston, SC, April 4, 2016

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 4, 2016, 16:19 local time
- Place: Williamston, SC
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.6191° N, 82.4804° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Williamston, SC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.6191&lon=-82.4804&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3959N, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3959N) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 35 (registry code 1151502, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental E185 series (registry code 17014, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-e185-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 35
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR E185 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 10,100 total, 5 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160404005539I

## Narrative

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

THE GOAL FOR APRIL 4, 2016 WAS TO FAMILIARIZE THE STUDENT WITH THE BE35 SO HE COULD OBTAIN HIS HIGH PERFORMANCE ENDORSEMENT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF FLIGHTS.

ENGINE START AT 2:50 PM AND WERE AIRBORNE AT 3:05 PM. DEPARTED KGMU ON THE LEFT TANK AS THE POH PRESCRIBES. FLEW WEST LEVELED OFF AT 3000'.  INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT THROUGH THE FUNDAMENTALS, SLOW FLIGHT, ENGINE OUT GLIDE, AN AIRBORNE TRAFFIC PATTERN. AT 3:40 SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND PROCEEDED TO KAND FOR A COUPLE OF TRAFFIC PATTERNS. FIRST LANDING, EXITED THE RUNWAY AND TAXIED BACK TO THE HOLD SHORT. THE FUEL WAS SWITCHED BACK TO THE LEFT TANK FOR TAKEOFF AS THE POH PRESCRIBES. SECOND WAS A STOP AND GO, STILL ON THE LEFT TANK AND THE THIRD WAS A FULL STOP TAXI BACK. LEFT TANK READ LOWER THAN RIGHT TANK, TOOK OFF AND FLEW BACK TO KGMU ON THE RIGHT TANK. LEVELING OFF AT 3500' THE CREW PERFORMED A CRUISE CHECKLIST. SHORTHLY THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND SHUT DOWN. EMERGENCY PROCEDURE WAS INITIATED AND ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. AFTER A COUPLE OF UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE, PILOTS DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND SELECTED A FREE FIELD TO LAND. TOUCHED DOWN AT 4:25 PM. NO PERSONAL INJURIES OCCURRED. MINOR DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. AFTER LANDING THE CREW EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND PERFORMED A VISUAL CHECK OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS. THE RIGHT TANK WAS STILL ALMOST FULL AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS NEARLY DRY. AN INVESTIGATION BY THE CREW, DETERMINED THAT THE STUDENT DID NOT PROPERLY CHANGE THE FUEL SELECTOR. THE FUEL SELECTOR MUST BE IN A SUBTLE DETENT PRIOR TO TURNING. THE STUDENT NEVER FELT THE DETENT PRIOR TO CHANGING THE FUEL SELECTOR. THEREFORE, THE AIRCRAFT RAN THE ENTIRE TIME OFF THE LEFT TANK CAUSING THE FUEL TO BE EXHAUSTED.

## Other reports on N3959N (1)

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

- [Incident 20140818020869I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140818020869I), Aug 18, 2014: Beech 35 (N3959N), Greer, SC, Minor damage. After completing practice landings at gsp the pilot intended to take off and return to home airport. Pilot intended to retract flaps for take off but…

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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