LAX06LA111

After losing engine power in the traffic pattern, the airplane touched down hard in an uneven field during a forced landing short of the runway. The pilot had been on a local sightseeing flight. He tried to contact the air traffic control tower, but was unable to do so due to frequency congestion. He crossed over the airport at midfield, and was heading eastbound at 2,000 feet when the engine lost power. He turned back toward the airport to attempt a landing, and informed the tower that he had an engine failure and wanted to make an emergency landing. The tower cleared him to land on runway 31R. He entered for a short final below 1,000 feet and turned to the right toward the end of the runway at 500 feet or less. He overshot the turn to final for 31R, and felt the airplane stall while in a steep turn. He decided that he could not make the runway, and headed to a grass field near the end of the runway. He slowed to 60 knots, touched down hard in the uneven field, and skidded across a road. Airport operations personnel inspected the fuel tanks and found that the right tank was dry and the left tank had several gallons. The pilot informed them that he forgot to switch fuel tanks from the right tank to the left prior to landing.

On February 12, 2006, about 1455 Pacific standard time, a Beech C23 Sundowner, N3724Z, collided with terrain approximately 300 feet from the approach end of runway 31L at Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County, San Jose, California. Air Accord Flight School was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot was not injured; two passengers sustained minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The local personal flight departed at 1330. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The approximate global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the primary wreckage were 37 degrees 20 minutes north latitude and 121 degrees 49 minutes west longitude.

The pilot submitted a written report. He stated that he had been on a local sightseeing flight. He tried to contact the air traffic control tower, but was unable to do so due to frequency congestion. He crossed over the airport at midfield, and was heading eastbound at 2,000 feet when the engine lost power. He set up a glide at 78 knots, and moved the mixture to full rich and applied carburetor heat. The engine quit, came back on, and then finally quit again.

The pilot turned back toward the airport to attempt a landing, and informed the tower that he had an engine failure and wanted to make an emergency landing. The tower cleared him to land on runway 31R. He entered for a short final below 1,000 feet. He stated that he received a couple of calls from the tower, but was unable to respond. He turned to the right toward the end of the runway at 500 feet or less. He delayed his turn a little bit due to tower communication attempts. He overshot 31R, and felt the airplane stall while in a steep turn. He decided that he could not make the runway, and headed to a grass field near the end of the runway. He slowed to 60 knots, touched down hard in the uneven field, and skidded to a road.

Airport operations inspected the fuel tanks and found that the right tank was dry and the left tank had several gallons. The pilot informed them that he forgot to switch fuel tanks prior to landing.