- Date
- December 24, 1999, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mokane, MO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2012DBeech BE-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 23, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19991224040839A
- Case key
- 48403
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
fuel starvation due to the pilot's failure to make accurate fuel consumption calculations and the pilot's improper emergency procedures for engine re-start. A factor was the ditch.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that after the engine quit he scanned the gauges. The left fuel tank indicated 1/4 tank of fuel. The pilot reported that the left fuel tank was selected, but he did not change the fuel selector to the right fuel tank when he tried to perform an engine re-start. The pilot executed a forced landing in a field, but the landing gear collapsed after it 'bounced over a little drainage ditch' during landing rollout. The pilot inspected the left wing tank for fuel. He reported he, 'couldn't see gas in the tank,' and that the left tank was 'pretty empty.' He checked the right tank and estimated there was 3 to 4 gallons of fuel in the right tank. The right fuel gauge indicated 1/4 tank. The pilot reported he had fueled the airplane with approximately one hour of fuel in each tank, and he had flown for approximately one hour when the engine quit. The airplane's flight manual lists '(1) Select other fuel tank (check to feel detent)' as a step in the emergency procedures for loss of engine power.
Factual narrative
On December 24, 1999, at 1600 central standard time, a Beech BE-35, N2012D, was substantially damaged when the main landing gear collapsed during a forced landing in a field near Mokane, Missouri. The airplane was at cruise flight at 3,500 feet mean sea level when the engine sputtered and quit. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight had originated from Montgomery-Wehrman Airport, Montgomery City, Missouri, (4MO) at 1510 and was on a local flight. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that after the engine quit he scanned the gauges. He reported the left fuel tank indicated 1/4 tank of fuel. The pilot reported that the left fuel tank was selected, but he did not change the fuel selector to the right fuel tank when he tried to perform an engine re-start. The pilot pulled the Carburetor Heat-On but it had no effect. The pilot executed a forced landing in a field, but the landing gear collapsed during landing rollout. The pilot reported the airplane, "... bounced over a drainage ditch in the field and then the nose wheel hit the ground and broke off."
The pilot reported he inspected the left wing tank for fuel. He reported he, "couldn't see gas in the tank," and that the left tank was "pretty empty." He checked the right tank and estimated there was 3 to 4 gallons of fuel in the right tank. He reported the right fuel gauge indicated 1/4 tank.
The pilot reported he had fueled the airplane with approximately one hour of fuel in each tank. He reported that he had flown for approximately one hour when the engine quit. The airplane's flight manual lists "(1) Select other fuel tank (check to feel detent)" as a step in the emergency procedures for loss of engine power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2012D
- Reported as
- Beech BE-35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D3362
- Airframe hours
- 4,850
- Engine
- Continental E-225, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Albatross Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 11, 1999 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 4MO · Montgomery City, MO
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 20 in this make and model · 149 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JEF, 16 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.