- Date
- July 27, 1991, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Minden, NV
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2037WBeech V-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910727030219A
- Case key
- 27305
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 pilot's failure to properly adjust the mixture setting prior to landing to ensure the continued operation of the engine.
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 and two passengers were completing a personal cross country flight. While on final approach, with the engine at a low power setting, the engine sustained total loss of power. Pilot was unable to restart the engine and elected to land, gear up, in a field 1500 feet short of the destination runway. The pilot commented that perhaps the mixture was possibly 'too' lean. Subsequent testing of the engine, and fuel system components, failed to reveal any malfunction. The pilot's medical certificate had been denied by the FAA since 1986.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2037W
- Reported as
- Beech V-35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-7980
- Airframe hours
- 4,605
- Engine
- Continental I0-520-B, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sanford Friezner
- Registered owner
- Specialized Testing Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 27, 1990 · 44 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,245 total · 76 in this make and model · 3,140 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 30 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.