- Date
- September 27, 2009, 11:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Tillamook, OR
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N90LPBeech 35-C33
- Defining event
- Emergency descent: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 29, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090927018139A
- Case key
- 74810
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 exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to visually verify that sufficient fuel was on board prior to flight. Contributing to the accident was a malfunctioning fuel gage.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated during the preflight, he checked the fuel gages which indicated 12 gallons in the left wing and 18 gallons in the right wing. The right wing tank indicated just below half a tank. The pilot stated that "it is not possible to visually gauge the fuel quantity once the amount is below 30 gallons per tank," and that it is difficult to know exactly how much fuel is in the airplane. About 24 minutes after takeoff the pilot reported that the engine experienced initial indications of low fuel while operating from the left fuel tank. The pilot then switched to the right fuel tank. Instead of proceeding to his destination, 35 miles away, the pilot diverted to a closer airport, 15 miles away. After 5 minutes, the engine again demonstrated conditions consistent with low fuel. Not believing that he could make the runway, the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing in a cattle pasture about 1 mile from the airport. During the landing, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing was structurally damaged. Post-accident inspection of the fuel system found that both fuel tanks were nearly empty of fuel. Inspection of the right fuel gage indicated about 1/3, when in fact the fuel tank was empty.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated during the preflight, he checked the fuel gages which indicated 12 gallons in the left wing and 18 gallons in the right wing. The right wing tank indicated just below half a tank. The pilot stated that "it is not possible to visually gauge the fuel quantity once the amount is below 30 gallons per tank," and that it is difficult to know exactly how much fuel is in the airplane. About 24 minutes after takeoff the pilot reported that the engine experienced initial indications of low fuel while operating from the left fuel tank. The pilot then switched to the right fuel tank. Instead of proceeding to his destination, 35 miles away, the pilot diverted to a closer airport, 15 miles away. After 5 minutes, the engine again demonstrated conditions consistent with low fuel. Not believing that he could make the runway, the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing in a cattle pasture about 1 mile from the airport. During the landing, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing was structurally damaged. Post-accident inspection of the fuel system found that both fuel tanks were nearly empty of fuel. Inspection of the right fuel gage indicated about 1/3, when in fact the fuel tank was empty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90LP
- Reported as
- Beech 35-C33
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CD-1047
- Airframe hours
- 3,108
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-470 SERIES, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Erman David G
- Registered owner
- Erman David G
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 25, 2009
- Departed
- KS45 · Gleneden Beach, OR
- Destination
- KAST · Astoria, OR
- Airport
- KTMK · Tillamook Airport
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 19, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 18,000 total · 250 in this make and model · 11,000 as pilot in command · 260 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KHIO, 37 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 16, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.