- Date
- August 28, 1984, 18:56 local (Aug 29, 1984, 01:56 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2876WBeech A36
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840828069699A
- Case key
- 24387
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt visually checked the fuel tanks during his pre-flt & estimated 10-20 gals of fuel remaining in both the left & right tanks. He said that the start, taxi & run-up were performed while using the right rank. He reported that the right fuel gage reading suddenly went to zero, but he suspected a faulty fuel gage reading. Nevertheless, he said he selected the left tank for takeoff. After taking off, the acft was climbing thru about 200 ft AGL when the eng lost power. The plt said he switched to the right tank, but nothing happened, so he switched back to the left tank & landed gear down in an alfalfa field. An exam revealed there was 12 to 15 gallon remaining in the left tank. The right tank was found empty. No part failure or malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2876W
- Reported as
- Beech A36
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-483
- Airframe hours
- 1,542
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gilbert E. Maines
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 30, 1983 · 70 hours before
- Destination
- TVL · S. Lake Tahoe, CA
- Airport
- LVK · Livermore Municipal, runway 25, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 996 total · 398 in this make and model · 796 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LVK, 1 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.