- Date
- September 9, 2012, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Geary, OK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3014VBeech 35
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO Oklahoma City
- FAA report
- 20120909025699A
- Case key
- 85013
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane during a forced landing attempt which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the instructor pilot's delay in taking control of the airplane and the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
After an uneventful local instructional flight, the student pilot and instructor pilot were practicing emergency landing procedures. After a missed approach to the private ranch airport, the student attempted a go-around. During the go-around, there was a loss of engine power during the climb and the student pilot tried to set up for an actual emergency landing. While maneuvering the airplane to land, both the instructor pilot and student attempted to trouble shoot and regain engine power by switching fuel tanks attempting a restart. About 20 feet above the runway, the airplane stalled, impacted the runway, and came to a stop in a grassy area to the left of the runway. Both wings sustained substantial damage. After the accident, the student pilot, who owned the airplane, stated that he may have moved the fuel selector lever to the left tank position while he and the instructor were trying to trouble shoot the loss of engine power. The instructor pilot occupied the right seat and would not have been able to see the fuel selector lever position. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed that both the right main fuel tank and auxiliary fuel tank had usable fuel. The left main fuel tank was empty and was not compromised. The fuel selector lever was found in the left tank position. No evidence of mechanical malfunction or any other preimpact abnormalities were found. Although the loss of engine power could be linked to possible fuel starvation, the cause for the loss of engine power could not be substantiated.
Factual narrative
After an uneventful local instructional flight, the student pilot and instructor pilot were practicing emergency landing procedures. After a missed approach to the private ranch airport, the student attempted a go-around. During the go-around, there was a loss of engine power during the climb and the student pilot tried to set up for an actual emergency landing. While maneuvering the airplane to land, both the instructor pilot and student attempted to trouble shoot and regain engine power by switching fuel tanks attempting a restart. About 20 feet above the runway, the airplane stalled, impacted the runway, and came to a stop in a grassy area to the left of the runway. Both wings sustained substantial damage. After the accident, the student pilot, who owned the airplane, stated that he may have moved the fuel selector lever to the left tank position while he and the instructor were trying to trouble shoot the loss of engine power. The instructor pilot occupied the right seat and would not have been able to see the fuel selector lever position. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed that both the right main fuel tank and auxiliary fuel tank had usable fuel. The left main fuel tank was empty and was not compromised. The fuel selector lever was found in the left tank position. No evidence of mechanical malfunction or any other preimpact abnormalities were found. Although the loss of engine power could be linked to possible fuel starvation, the cause for the loss of engine power could not be substantiated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3014V
- Reported as
- Beech 35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-416
- Engine
- Cont Motor E185 SERIES, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Rowdy W Haynes
- Registered owner
- Rowdy W Haynes
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- OJA · Weatherford, OK
- Destination
- OJA · Weatherford, OK
- Airport
- 0OK3 · McKinley Ranch Airport, runway 34, 5,000 × 50 ft, gravel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,929 total · 11 in this make and model · 1,791 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2 total · 2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- CLK, 25 nm away
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.