20220723013289A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech A35 · Centralia, IL · July 23, 2022

Date: July 23, 2022 · 12:00 local
Place: Centralia, IL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8466A
NTSB investigation: NTSBDCA22FA157
Reported as: Beech A35
Reported engine: Continental E185 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Private pilot, unknown or foreign certificate
Pilot’s flight hours: 415 total17 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days

N8466ARegistration cancelled Nov 23, 2022 · Beech A35S/N D-1884 · Built 1948 Airframe modelBeech A35 Engine modelContinental E185 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.

Narrative:

While in cruise flight at 6500 feet during day VMC, the pilot switched fuel tanks from left to right while over or near the Centralia municipal airport (enl) Centralia Illinois.

About 4 or 5 minutes after switching tanks, the engine lost power and reduced to 1500 RPM. The pilot thought there was an issue with the propeller and that the engine was still running. There were no other abnormal indications other than the reduced RPM and the decrease in engine and propeller noise.

The pilot kept the fuel selector on the right tank and pumped the wobble pump but it had no effect on the engine.

The pilot allowed the airplane to get too low during the approach, then the engine RPM dropped from 1500, the airplane descended and impacted a residential backyard above ground pool.

-End-

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE:

WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 6500 FEET DURING DAY VMC, THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WHILE OVER OR NEAR THE CENTRALIA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (ENL) CENTRALIA ILLINOIS.

ABOUT 4 OR 5 MINUTES AFTER SWITCHING TANKS, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND REDUCED TO 1500 RPM. THE PILOT THOUGHT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE PROPELLER AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. THERE WERE NO OTHER ABNORMAL INDICATIONS OTHER THAN THE REDUCED RPM AND THE DECREASE IN ENGINE AND PROPELLER NOISE.

THE PILOT KEPT THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE RIGHT TANK AND PUMPED THE WOBBLE PUMP BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE ENGINE.

THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO GET TOO LOW DURING THE APPROACH, THEN THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED FROM 1500, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED AND IMPACTED A RESIDENTIAL BACKYARD ABOVE GROUND POOL.

-END-

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB DCA22FA157Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportCentralia, ILThe pilot’s unsuccessful attempt to switch fuel tanks, which resulted in fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the uninstalled fuel selector handle warning device.Jul 23, 2022 · Substantial damage