- Date
- August 30, 2016, 08:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Sioux Falls, SD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N23583Beech V35B
- Defining event
- Approach-IFR final approach: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20160830021549A
- Case key
- 93988
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 pilot's failure to adequately manage the available fuel supply, resulting in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate preflight by the pilot and flight instructor, and the flight instructor's failure to monitor the fuel levels.
Findings · 5
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
While on final during a practice instrument approach, the engine lost total power. An attempted engine restart and switching of the fuel tanks was unsuccessful. The flight instructor took control of the airplane from the pilot receiving instruction, and executed a forced landing to a corn field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The airplane was recovered from the field and about 1 cup of fuel was found in the right fuel tank, and the left wing fuel tank was about 3/4's full. The engine was functionally tested for about 10 minutes on the airframe with no anomalies noted. The pilot reported he did not check the wing fuel tanks during pre-flight and relied on the cockpit fuel gauges for fuel quantity.
Factual narrative
While on final during a practice instrument approach, the engine lost total power. An attempted engine restart and switching of the fuel tanks was unsuccessful. The flight instructor took control of the airplane from the pilot receiving instruction, and executed a forced landing to a corn field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The airplane was recovered from the field and about 1 cup of fuel was found in the right fuel tank, and the left wing fuel tank was about 3/4's full. The engine was functionally tested for about 10 minutes on the airframe with no anomalies noted. The pilot reported he did not check the wing fuel tanks during pre-flight and relied on the cockpit fuel gauges for fuel quantity.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23583
- Reported as
- Beech V35B (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-10087
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 3,669.5
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental IO-520-B, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- On File
- Registered owner
- On File
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 24, 2016
- Departed
- Y14 · Tea, SD
- Destination
- FSD · Sioux Falls, SD
- Airport
- FSD · Joe Foss Field Airport, runway 21, 8,999 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 22, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 177 total · 106 in this make and model · 177 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 4, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 14,233 total · 30 in this make and model · 8,777 as pilot in command · 87 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- FSD, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 6, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.
Other investigations on N23583 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.