Beechcraft V35 N345MD
22 February 1999 · Telluride, Colorado, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 22 February 1999 at about 17:25 local time, a Beechcraft V35 registered N345MD was involved in an accident near Telluride, Colorado, United States. 4 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Telluride, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Telluride Regional (TEX)
- Coordinates
- 37.9395, -107.9004
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft V35
- Registration
- N345MD
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Steamboat Sprng → Tucson
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN99LA042
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to the ingestion of air in the fuel line, the pilot's failure to purge the fuel line of unwanted air prior to flight as outlined in the Airplane Flight Manual, and inadequate altitude in which to glide to the airport.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane had been cruising at 16,000 feet and fuel had been drawn from the left tank for one hour. Approximately 30 seconds after the pilot switched the fuel selector valve from the left main to the right tip tank, the engine lost power. The pilot was able to glide the airplane 10 miles to the Telluride Regional Airport, elevation 9,078 feet msl, but struck the ground about 30 feet short of the runway. The tips tanks were last used 16 months before the accident. The tip tank manufacturer said it was possible that trapped air in the tip tank fuel line could have caused the engine to lose power when the pilot moved the fuel selector to the right tip tank, and it was also possible the pilot flooded the engine with excess fuel when she selected LOW BOOST during the restart attempt. The pilot was unaware of the procedure to follow for purging air from the fuel system.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Beechcraft V35 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jul 1999 | Beechcraft V35 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Jan 1998 | Beechcraft V35 | Seguin, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 May 2000 | Beechcraft V35 | San Quintin, Mexico | Robert H. APP | Fatal | 3 |
| 10 Feb 2000 | Beechcraft V35 | Schaumburg, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Nov 2001 | Beechcraft V35 | Mounds View, Minnesota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 May 1997 | Beechcraft V35 | Lake George, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Apr 1999 | Weatherly 201-C | Two Buttes, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 1999 | Air Tractor AT-402A | Mead, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Mar 1999 | Robinson R22 BETA | Englewood, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Mar 1999 | Cameron V-77 | Elbert, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Nov 1999 | Beechcraft A60 | Boulder, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1999 | Piper PA-32-260 | Aspen, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |