- Date
- August 5, 1997, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tullahoma, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9236QBeech V35B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970805021279A
- Case key
- 38322
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 improper procedure by not placing the fuel selector on the tank with the most fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation, a forced landing, and impact with a tree.
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 on final approach the airplane's engine lost power about 100 yards short of the runway and impacted with trees. Examination of the wreckage revealed that both fuel tanks were breached, and fuel was not observed in either tank. The fuel selector was found in the left tank position. The pilot he realized he had 'error[ed]' and had not switched to the full fuel tank. He switched tanks, but he said 'the engine did not fire.' The airplane was 'low and slow,' but the pilot thought he could still make the runway. The airplane struck the top of a tree and fell to the ground. The pilot stated in the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, '...this accident could have been avoided by following 'GUMP' [gas-under carriage-mixture-prop] to the letter.'
Factual narrative
On August 5, 1997, about 1230 eastern standard time, a Beech V35B, N9236Q, registered to a private owner, crashed while on approach near Tullahoma, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The private-rated pilot reported serious injuries, and one passenger was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight had originated from Elkhart, Indiana, at 0945.
The pilot stated that after entering the airport traffic pattern for landing on runway 36, he went through the landing procedures, but said "[for] some unknown reason I still did not switch [fuel] tanks." He turned the airplane onto final approach, lowered the landing gear, selected 10 degrees of flaps, and was at a speed of "90 miles per hour." He further stated, "...about 100 yards from touch down...the engine cut out. I realized my error and switched to the full [fuel] tank, but the engine did not fire." The airplane was "low and slow," but the pilot thought he could still make the runway. The airplane struck the top of a tree and fell to the ground. The pilot stated in the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, "...this accident could have been avoided by following 'GUMP' [gas-under carriage-mixture-prop] to the letter."
Examination of the wreckage revealed that both fuel tanks were breached, and fuel was not observed in either tank. The fuel selector was found in the left tank position
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9236Q
- Reported as
- Beech V35B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-9288
- Engine
- Continental IO-520B, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John C. Soteber
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 28, 1997 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- EKM · Elkhart, IN
- Airport
- THA · Tullahoma, runway 36, 2,200 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 172 total · 97 in this make and model · 122 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.