- Date
- July 24, 1989, 17:25 local (23:25 UTC)
- Place
- Kalispell, MT
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3317CBeech E35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890724025159A
- Case key
- 17600
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
Contaminated fuel system that starved the engine of fuel.
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 stated that after takeoff from the Kalispell airport, the engine lost power. He executed emergency procedures, but could not restore power. A forced landing was made in an open field and the airplane was damaged. A post-crash exam of the fuel system revealed dirt and sand contaminantes in the fuel tanks and that the fuel filter screens were obstructed with foreign matter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3317C
- Reported as
- Beech E35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D3983
- Airframe hours
- 6,081
- Engine
- Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Engle, Donald F.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 26, 1988 · 83 hours before
- Departed
- FCA
- Destination
- DKY · Deer Park, WA
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,184 total · 234 in this make and model · 4,588 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N3317C · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.