20220105000539I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Beech 35 · January 5, 2022

Date: January 5, 2022 · 15:40 local
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N4479V
Reported as: Beech 35
Reported engine: Continental E225 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,500 total

N4479VRegistered now · Beech 35S/N D-1297 · Built 1948 Airframe modelBeech 35 Engine modelContinental E225 seriesReciprocating

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.

While enroute 2500 MSL, from lawton ok klaw to brenham TX 11R, the aircraft engine stopped. The pilot made an engine out landing on an oilfield pipeline clearing. No injuries to the single occupant, no aircraft damage. FAA on scene noted the right wing fuel tank contained only unusable fuel. Noted the left wing tank contained approximately 20 gallons of fuel. The pilot later stated the fuel selector was an older style that he was unfamiliar with and he thought he was supplying fuel from the left tank but instead was using fuel from the right tank. He did not have time or altitude to troubleshoot and elected to land on a cleared pipeline path straight ahead.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE ENROUTE 2500 MSL, FROM LAWTON OK KLAW TO BRENHAM TX 11R, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STOPPED. THE PILOT MADE AN ENGINE OUT LANDING ON AN OILFIELD PIPELINE CLEARING. NO INJURIES TO THE SINGLE OCCUPANT, NO AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. FAA ON SCENE NOTED THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK CONTAINED ONLY UNUSABLE FUEL. NOTED THE LEFT WING TANK CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE PILOT LATER STATED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS AN OLDER STYLE THAT HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH AND HE THOUGHT HE WAS SUPPLYING FUEL FROM THE LEFT TANK BUT INSTEAD WAS USING FUEL FROM THE RIGHT TANK. HE DID NOT HAVE TIME OR ALTITUDE TO TROUBLESHOOT AND ELECTED TO LAND ON A CLEARED PIPELINE PATH STRAIGHT AHEAD.