Beechcraft B35 N8799A

Summary

On 21 February 2009 at about 17:30 local time, a Beechcraft B35 registered N8799A, operated by Sale Reported, was involved in an accident near La Luz, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 February 2009 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

La Luz, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

32.9519, -105.9689

Aircraft

Beechcraft B35

Registration

N8799A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sale Reported

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Alamogordo → Alamogordo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09LA170

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a blockage in the right fuel tank vent.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was receiving an "initial aircraft familiarization" from the designated pilot examiner. As they were returning to the airport, the engine lost power and the examiner noticed that the fuel pressure had dropped. The electric boost pump was switched on, and the examiner directed the pilot to start pumping the warbler pump. Fuel pressure rose slightly to 2.5 pounds per square inch and the engine restarted and ran for about 20 seconds. Gliding towards an open field, the examiner lowered the landing gear and raised the nose to clear some power lines. He felt "a snag" on the left main gear "which diverted our flight path slightly to the left." The airplane touched down and, during the landing roll, it struck a dirt berm that collapsed the nose gear and spun the airplane around. The right wing was bent and the left wing sustained spar damage when it struck mesquite bushes. The airplane was later examined by the pilot's mechanic. In an e-mail to the pilot, the mechanic reported finding "what appeared to be a dirt doppler nest in the right fuel tank vent," causing a vacuum and preventing fuel from flowing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.