What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 02, 2021 about 9:45 CST, a Beech A35 bonanza; serial # D-1854, registered as N8419A sustained significant damage when it crashed into a group of trees approximately 1,000 feet west of runway 9 at Morrilton ar (kbdq). The pilot in command (PIC) was a certificated commercial pilot and the passenger was a student pilot. The passenger wasprivacy data omitted. Both pilot and passenger were transported to the hospital, sustained minor injuries, and released the same day.
The aircraft departed ada Oklahoma (kadh) at approximately 9:10 am and was enroute to searcy Arkansas (ksrc) for a scheduled fuel stop. Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes into the flight and at 8,500 feet, PIC switched from the right tank to the auxiliary tank. After seven or eight minutes, the engine stopped with a wind-milling prop. PIC attempted to restart but the engine momentarily restarted and stopped.
ATC provided vectors to the nearest airport (kbdr) but aircraft landed about 1,000 feet short of runway 9.
On September 03, 2021, FAA iic arrived on site and discovered aircraft in a nose-down attitude about 10-15 feet off the ground wedged in a large tree. Aircraft structure was intact.
Aircraft had a significant amount of oil streaking from nose to tail on the belly consisting of both old and new engine oil. Oil marking indicated oil loss occurred in-flight (and/or at high speed). There was no indication that oil leakage occurred post impact or that oil loss was a result of the impact. Impact ruptured both left and right fuel tanks and could not determine fuel quantity. Fuel selector valve was on the left tank position.
On September 14, 2021, two inspectors from the little rock FSDO traveled to dawson aircraft in clinton Arkansas to inspect the aircraft.
Engine serial number 21360-D-1-8. Disconnected battery and removed upper spark plugs. Spark plugs appeared to have significant carbon build-up typical of high-time use. Operated throttle and mixture and movement was unimpeded. Hand-rotated propeller and engine turned smoothly with no binding or obstruction. Felt each cylinder for compression and all cylinders appeared to produce pressure. Removed rocker arm covers and rocker arms appeared normal with no sign of overheating and appeared to have oil supply. Oil starvation does not seem likely.
Removed fuel filters/screens from carburetor. Fuel lines to the carburetor contained only drips of fuel with no fuel in the filters. Fuel filters looked old but were clean and did not contain sediment/debris. It appeared inadequate fuel was supplied to the carburetor.
Aux tank filler neck internal looked extremely dirty and corroded. Sumped the aux tank and fuel appeared blue in color, with minimal debris, and slightly milky. Drained fuel selector valve and fuel appeared blue in color, with minimal debris, and slightly milky. Collected fuel for analysis if needed.
Removed fuel selector valve by cutting fuel tank supply lines and boost pump line. All fuel lines from tanks to the fuel selector valve contained fuel. Fuel line from the fuel selector valve to boost pump and the fuel boost pump contained trace amount of fuel. Fuel lines from electric boost pump to engine driven pump looked normal. All fittings looked properly installed with no cross-threading. B-nuts were tight, flares looked undamaged, and lines were clear of obstruction. All check valves on the fuel selector valve looked normal. Bench tested electric boost pump and pump operated normally with output pressure.
Disassembled fuel selector valve for closer inspection. All check valves and springs appeared normal. All o-rings appeared new and properly installed. Fuel selector valve appears normal with no indication of fault.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 02, 2021 ABOUT 9:45 CST, A BEECH A35 BONANZA; SERIAL # D-1854, REGISTERED AS N8419A SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WHEN IT CRASHED INTO A GROUP OF TREES APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET WEST OF RUNWAY 9 AT MORRILTON AR (KBDQ). THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS A CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WAS A STUDENT PILOT. THE PASSENGER WAS^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND RELEASED THE SAME DAY.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ADA OKLAHOMA (KADH) AT APPROXIMATELY 9:10 AM AND WAS ENROUTE TO SEARCY ARKANSAS (KSRC) FOR A SCHEDULED FUEL STOP. APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT AND AT 8,500 FEET, PIC SWITCHED FROM THE RIGHT TANK TO THE AUXILIARY TANK. AFTER SEVEN OR EIGHT MINUTES, THE ENGINE STOPPED WITH A WIND-MILLING PROP. PIC ATTEMPTED TO RESTART BUT THE ENGINE MOMENTARILY RESTARTED AND STOPPED.
ATC PROVIDED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT (KBDR) BUT AIRCRAFT LANDED ABOUT 1,000 FEET SHORT OF RUNWAY 9.
ON SEPTEMBER 03, 2021, FAA IIC ARRIVED ON SITE AND DISCOVERED AIRCRAFT IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE ABOUT 10-15 FEET OFF THE GROUND WEDGED IN A LARGE TREE. AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE WAS INTACT.
AIRCRAFT HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OIL STREAKING FROM NOSE TO TAIL ON THE BELLY CONSISTING OF BOTH OLD AND NEW ENGINE OIL. OIL MARKING INDICATED OIL LOSS OCCURRED IN-FLIGHT (AND/OR AT HIGH SPEED). THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT OIL LEAKAGE OCCURRED POST IMPACT OR THAT OIL LOSS WAS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT. IMPACT RUPTURED BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS AND COULD NOT DETERMINE FUEL QUANTITY. FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS ON THE LEFT TANK POSITION.
ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2021, TWO INSPECTORS FROM THE LITTLE ROCK FSDO TRAVELED TO DAWSON AIRCRAFT IN CLINTON ARKANSAS TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT.
ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER 21360-D-1-8. DISCONNECTED BATTERY AND REMOVED UPPER SPARK PLUGS. SPARK PLUGS APPEARED TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT CARBON BUILD-UP TYPICAL OF HIGH-TIME USE. OPERATED THROTTLE AND MIXTURE AND MOVEMENT WAS UNIMPEDED. HAND-ROTATED PROPELLER AND ENGINE TURNED SMOOTHLY WITH NO BINDING OR OBSTRUCTION. FELT EACH CYLINDER FOR COMPRESSION AND ALL CYLINDERS APPEARED TO PRODUCE PRESSURE. REMOVED ROCKER ARM COVERS AND ROCKER ARMS APPEARED NORMAL WITH NO SIGN OF OVERHEATING AND APPEARED TO HAVE OIL SUPPLY. OIL STARVATION DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY.
REMOVED FUEL FILTERS/SCREENS FROM CARBURETOR. FUEL LINES TO THE CARBURETOR CONTAINED ONLY DRIPS OF FUEL WITH NO FUEL IN THE FILTERS. FUEL FILTERS LOOKED OLD BUT WERE CLEAN AND DID NOT CONTAIN SEDIMENT/DEBRIS. IT APPEARED INADEQUATE FUEL WAS SUPPLIED TO THE CARBURETOR.
AUX TANK FILLER NECK INTERNAL LOOKED EXTREMELY DIRTY AND CORRODED. SUMPED THE AUX TANK AND FUEL APPEARED BLUE IN COLOR, WITH MINIMAL DEBRIS, AND SLIGHTLY MILKY. DRAINED FUEL SELECTOR VALVE AND FUEL APPEARED BLUE IN COLOR, WITH MINIMAL DEBRIS, AND SLIGHTLY MILKY. COLLECTED FUEL FOR ANALYSIS IF NEEDED.
REMOVED FUEL SELECTOR VALVE BY CUTTING FUEL TANK SUPPLY LINES AND BOOST PUMP LINE. ALL FUEL LINES FROM TANKS TO THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE CONTAINED FUEL. FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO BOOST PUMP AND THE FUEL BOOST PUMP CONTAINED TRACE AMOUNT OF FUEL. FUEL LINES FROM ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP TO ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP LOOKED NORMAL. ALL FITTINGS LOOKED PROPERLY INSTALLED WITH NO CROSS-THREADING. B-NUTS WERE TIGHT, FLARES LOOKED UNDAMAGED, AND LINES WERE CLEAR OF OBSTRUCTION. ALL CHECK VALVES ON THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE LOOKED NORMAL. BENCH TESTED ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP AND PUMP OPERATED NORMALLY WITH OUTPUT PRESSURE.
DISASSEMBLED FUEL SELECTOR VALVE FOR CLOSER INSPECTION. ALL CHECK VALVES AND SPRINGS APPEARED NORMAL. ALL O-RINGS APPEARED NEW AND PROPERLY INSTALLED. FUEL SELECTOR VALVE APPEARS NORMAL WITH NO INDICATION OF FAULT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.