20211211021009A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech K35 · Temecula, CA · December 11, 2021

Date
December 11, 2021 · 14:55 local
Place
Temecula, CA
Airport
French Valley
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N654HR
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR22LA062
Reported as
Beech K35
Reported engine
Continental I0-470
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
231 total

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 December 11, 2021, about 1455 pacific standard time, a Beech K35 airplane, N654HR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Temecula, California. The pilot was

Not injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that about eight minutes after takeoff, while at a cruise altitude about 3,000 ft mean sea level, the engine started to run rough and lose power. He was operating off the left fuel tank and

Therefore activated the fuel pump and switched to the right fuel tank but that did not resolve the issue. The engine continued to lose power until the pilot said that it was not producing any power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to land on a golf course fairway but had to abort the approach due to individuals on the fairway.

Subsequently, the pilot elected to make a force landing in a nearby grape vineyard. He intentionally kept the landing gear retracted to minimize any entanglement with the wire that was used to support growing the grape vines. During the landing sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings when it struck posts that supported the wire used to grow the grapes. The airplane was recovered to a secure location for future examination. Atq-a incident report number A-WP-21-22-008 may be amended with information from the NTSB, owner, or maintenance facilities.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 11, 2021, ABOUT 1455 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BEECH K35 AIRPLANE, N654HR, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WAS

NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, WHILE AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE ABOUT 3,000 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE POWER. HE WAS OPERATING OFF THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND

THEREFORE ACTIVATED THE FUEL PUMP AND SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK BUT THAT DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER UNTIL THE PILOT SAID THAT IT WAS NOT PRODUCING ANY POWER. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TO LAND ON A GOLF COURSE FAIRWAY BUT HAD TO ABORT THE APPROACH DUE TO INDIVIDUALS ON THE FAIRWAY.

SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCE LANDING IN A NEARBY GRAPE VINEYARD. HE INTENTIONALLY KEPT THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED TO MINIMIZE ANY ENTANGLEMENT WITH THE WIRE THAT WAS USED TO SUPPORT GROWING THE GRAPE VINES. DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND WINGS WHEN IT STRUCK POSTS THAT SUPPORTED THE WIRE USED TO GROW THE GRAPES. THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED TO A SECURE LOCATION FOR FUTURE EXAMINATION. ATQ-A INCIDENT REPORT NUMBER A-WP-21-22-008 MAY BE AMENDED WITH INFORMATION FROM THE NTSB, OWNER, OR MAINTENANCE FACILITIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.