- Date
- June 14, 2003, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Colorado Spring, CO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5751KBeech S35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Denver FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030614013109I
- Case key
- 57231
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 inadequate in-flight planning/decision in which he mismanaged his fuel supply by failing to switch tanks resulting in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power. A contributing factor was the pilot's diverted attention.
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
While being vectored to avoid weather, the pilot lost track of his fuel situation and failed to switch tanks. While on approach the engine stopped. The pilot elected to touch down with the landing gear up and the flaps retracted. During the forced landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, when a salvage company retrieved the airplane from the field, approximately 2.5 hours of fuel was found in the airplane.
Factual narrative
On June 14, 2003, at approximately 1300 mountain daylight time, a Beech S35, N5751K, was substantially damaged during a gear-up forced landing north of the City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS), Colorado Springs, Colorado. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the cross-country flight being conducted under the provisions Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, at approximately 0830.
According to the pilot, he filled the fuel tanks to capacity before departure and calculated that he had approximately 7 hours of fuel on board. Flight time was estimated to be 5 hours and 10 minutes. After takeoff, the pilot was cleared direct to Colorado Springs, Colorado. The flight went as planned until arrival in Colorado. Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) gave the pilot several vectors, due to weather, that he had not planned on. The pilot stated that he lost track of his fuel situation and failed to switch tanks during this time.
While on approach into Colorado Springs the engine lost power. The pilot elected to touch down with the landing gear up and the flaps retracted. During the forced landing, the airplane's keel beam and engine firewall were bent, and the fuselage was wrinkled forward of the right wing. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies.
According to the pilot, when a salvage company retrieved the airplane from the field, approximately 2.5 hours of fuel was found in the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5751K
- Reported as
- Beech S35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-7539
- Airframe hours
- 2,508.6
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-BA, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Peter J. Vercouteren
- Registered owner
- GW Bonanza Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 7, 2002 · 87.6 hours before
- Departed
- FLD · Fond Du Lac, WI
- Destination
- COS · Colorado Spring, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 22, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,260 total · 61 in this make and model · 1,098 as pilot in command · 51 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- COS, 2 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.