- Date
- January 28, 1995, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sardis, MS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5116CBeech 35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950128006099A
- Case key
- 37726
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
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation caused by a fuel selector stem failure, due to wear, that precluded the pilot from selecting a fuel tank that had fuel.
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
While in cruise flight the engine failed due to fuel starvation. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed the fuel selector wobble pump stem had failed due to wear, which resulted in the inability of the pilot to select another fuel tank that had fuel.
Factual narrative
On January 28, 1995, about 1500 central standard time, N5116C, a Beech BE35-35, registered to and operated by Stanton M. Smith, crashed in Sardis, Mississippi, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Minden, Louisiana, about 1 hour earlier.
The pilot reported the engine failed and he executed a forced landing to a road. During the landing roll the airplane hit signs and both wings were partially ripped off. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the fuel selector wobble pump stem was broken due to wear on the splines. This condition would preclude the pilot from selecting another fuel tank with fuel available.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5116C
- Reported as
- Beech 35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-833
- Airframe hours
- 4,956
- Engine
- Continental E-185, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Smith, Stanton M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 20, 1994 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- F24 · Minden, LA
- Destination
- M08 · Bolivr, TN
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,050 total · 15 in this make and model · 1,800 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUP, 125 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.