- Date
- September 5, 1994, 11:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Crockett, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5526DBeech J35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940905025399A
- Case key
- 19155
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 fuel starvation induced loss of engine power due to the pilot's improper fuel tank selection.
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
According to the pilot, he switched fuel tanks from an aux tank to the right main upon entering the pattern after a cross country flight. Shortly thereafter, the engine sustained a complete power loss and the pilot's attempts to restart were unsuccessful. The pilot determined that he could not make the airport and elected to stall the airplane into an open field short of a tree line at the end of the runway. Examination revealed 15 gallons of fuel in both the left and right mains and no fuel in either aux tank. There was no evidence of pre-impact mechanical failure or malfunction found in the engine.
Factual narrative
On September 5, 1994, at 1140 central daylight time, a Beech J35, N5526D, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Crockett, Texas. The airplane, flown by a private pilot, was on a personal cross country flight. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and the one passenger received minor injuries.
According to the pilot, he flew the en route segment of the flight from Friendswood, Texas, to Crockett, Texas, on the auxiliary tanks; he did not specify which tank. The pilot stated that upon entering the traffic pattern at the destination airport, he switched the fuel selector to the right main. Shortly thereafter, the engine sustained a power loss. The pilot verified the fuel selector setting and switched the fuel boost pump to "emergency", and attempted to restart the engine; however, his efforts were unsuccessful. The pilot determined that he would be unable to make the airport and elected to stall the airplane into a field short of a tree line at the end of the runway.
Post-accident examination of the airframe and engine revealed that there were 15 gallons of fuel in both the left and right main fuel tanks and no fuel in the auxiliary tanks. Examination of the engine did not reveal any evidence of pre-impact failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5526D
- Reported as
- Beech J35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-5062
- Airframe hours
- 5,796
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-C, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Everett, Edward C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport; Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 12, 1994 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- 7XS0 · Friendswood, TX
- Destination
- T56 · TX
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
- 54
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Private, Foreign, Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 59 in this make and model · 365 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 73 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.