Beechcraft J35 N8396D

Summary

On 15 April 2005 at about 16:40 local time, a Beechcraft J35 registered N8396D was involved in an accident near Bartlesville, Oklahoma, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 April 2005 at 16:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Bartlesville, Oklahoma, United States

Nearest airport

Bartlesville Municipal Airport (BVO)

Coordinates

36.7622, -96.0111

Aircraft

Beechcraft J35

Registration

N8396D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bartlesville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW05CA104

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to the pilot's inadvertent and improper positioning of the fuel tank selector, which resulted in fuel starvation. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 3,767-hour commercial pilot was getting ready to make a 180-degree turn for a 45-degree entry to a right downwind for runway 17, when the engine started sputtering. He immediately reached down and turned the fuel selector from the "left main" tank to what he thought was the "auxiliary" tank position. Subsequently, the engine stopped producing power. He then switched the auxiliary fuel pump to the "on" position, thinking that the engine would resume running momentarily, but it did not. The pilot then looked to the airport and realized that he would not be able to make it to the runway. The pilot then began to look for a suitable location for a forced landing. The pilot extended the airplane's landing gear and elected to land in an open pasture. After touching down in the pasture, he observed a ditch in his path which he would not be able to avoid. After the accident, the pilot discovered that he had turned the fuel selector to the "off" position, instead of the "auxiliary" position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.