# Incident 20190714011599I: Beech J35, Mt. Zion, IL, July 14, 2019

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 14, 2019, 08:40 local time
- Place: Mt. Zion, IL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.7840° N, 88.8850° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Mount Zion, IL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7840&lon=-88.8850&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7289B, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7289B) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech J35 (registry code 1151522, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-j35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental I0-470 series (registry code 17027, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH J35
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR I0-470 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 7,500 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190714011599I

## Narrative

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

INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE FAA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER AT 09:16 CDT OF A BEECH J35 SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD AND SUBSEQUENT PROP STRIKE WITH SLIDE INTO A DITCH. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AT 10:20 CDT AND WAS MET BY THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT STATED THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT TO PRACTICE SOME MANEUVERS WITH FRIEND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED THE DECATUR AIRPORT (KDEC) AT ABOUT 08:10 CDT. THE PILOT STATED AT APPROXIMATELY 08:40 CDT THE ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING AND HE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE KDEC AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DROP QUICKLY AND HE GOT IT DOWN TO THE STALL WARNING. THE PILOT STATED THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE LANDING GEAR TO EXTEND FULLY AND THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ONTO THE PAVEMENT (ON MCDONALD ROAD JUST SOUTH OF IL-121). THE PILOT STATED THE PROP DUG INTO THE PAVEMENT A COUPLE OF TIMES PULLING HIM TO THE RIGHT SIDE

OF THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN IN A SMALL DITCH NEXT TO A CORN FIELD. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS AT AROUND 2,000 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. THE PILOT ALSO STATED HE SWITCHED TO THE FULLEST FUEL TANK (RIGHT TANK) AND FLIPPED ON THE BOOST PUMP, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASKED HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. THE PILOT STATED THERE WAS ABOUT 10 GALLONS IN THE LEFT MAIN AND 3/4 FULL IN THE RIGHT MAIN. ON THE SCENE, INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK BUT THE RIGHT TANK WAS VISUALLY DETERMINED TO BE FULL. SPRINGFIELD, IL FSDO AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS TRANSPORTED BACK TO THE DECATUR AIRPORT AND NOTED NO OBVIOUS MECHANICAL REASONS FOR ENGINE FAILURE.

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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