# NTSB ERA23LA151: Beech 35-B33, N5714K, Scottsmoor, FL, March 14, 2023 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: March 14, 2023, 10:06 local (14:06 UTC) - Place: Scottsmoor, FL - Coordinates: 28.766667, -80.861667 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.7667&lon=-80.8617&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 106894 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA23LA151 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/106894/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106894 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA151 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 35-B33, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=1151406), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 35-B33, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=1151406), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech 35-B33, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=1151406), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Enroute-descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Beech 35-B33, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=1151406), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was flying to an airport that was about 33 nautical miles away from the departure airport, and after takeoff climbed to an altitude of 2,000 ft before descending to 1,500 ft. About 8 minutes into the flight the airplane’s engine "coughed and stopped running." In response, the pilot switched the fuel selector to the other tank, turned on the boost pump and wingtip fuel tank pumps, and attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. He then returned the fuel selector back to the original tank and made another attempt to restart the engine, but that effort was similarly unsuccessful. The pilot then selected a field and performed a forced landing. During the landing the airplane struck a tree, seriously injuring the pilot and substantially damaging the fuselage and left wing. A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector examined the airplane at the accident site and reported that he found the fuel selector on the right tank position and that both the right main and wingtip fuel tanks were empty. He found a small amount of fuel in the left main fuel tank (later determined to be about 2 gallons) and no fuel in the left wingtip fuel tank. The inspector otherwise found no evidence of fuel leakage at the accident site. A post recovery examination of the wreckage also found that there was no fuel in the fuel pump or fuel injector lines. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane, and in a postaccident telephone interview stated that the airplane, "…just didn’t have enough fuel." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5714K](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5714K), registered now, S/N CD-784, built 1964 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 35-B33 - Registry model: [Beech 35-B33](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-35-b33) (registry code 1151406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: CD-784 - Year built: 1964 - Airframe hours: 6070 - Engines: Continental IO-470 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Honour Aviation LLC - Registered owner: Honour Aviation LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, September 14, 2022 - Departed: TIX, Titusville, FL - Destination: EVB, New Smyrna Beach, FL - Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 79; injuries: serious; airline transport, flight instructor, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed, without waivers/limitations; last flight review July 8, 2022; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 21,764 total, 605 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 7 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg - Observed at: KTIX, 3 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20230314003649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230314003649A), Mar 14, 2023: Beech 35-B33, Scotsmore, FL, Destroyed. Pilot departed tix to evb and after approx. 8 minuted in flight the aircraft fuel was depleted and aircraft landed in a cow pasture then hit a tree. ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 23, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106894. 9.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15531832&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20N5714K_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� telephone interview, pilot (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 94 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15531842&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20Of%20Record%20pilot%20statement%20Mr.%20Honour-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector's statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 78 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15530384&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N5714K-%20Inspector%20Statement-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records (item 4, PDF, 5 pages, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15529157&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N5714K-%20logbook%20maint%20info_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation (item 5, PDF, 9 pages, 4.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15532477&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N5714K%20Party%20form_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigative photos (item 6, PDF, 2 pages, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15528682&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=investigative%20photos%20N5714K-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.