- Date
- December 22, 1992, 15:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Collegeville, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4266BBeech F-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921222055059A
- Case key
- 37285
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 follow the before landing check list in the pilot operators handbook in not selecting the fullest fuel tank for landing, which resulted in fuel starvation and subsequent engine failure.
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 flight departed with 45 gallons of fuel on board. After 1.3 hours of flying, as the airplane entered the airport downwind leg, the engine quit. Unable to glide to the airport, the pilot landed the airplane gear up in a field. Post accident investigation revealed a full left fuel tank and no fuel remaining in the right tank. A post accident test run of the engine was accomplished with no problems noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4266B
- Reported as
- Beech F-35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-4255
- Airframe hours
- 3,500
- Engine
- Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Wawrzyniak
- Registered owner
- James Wawrzyniak
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1992 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- N10 · PA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,050 total · 240 in this make and model · 3,050 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °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.