Beechcraft P35 N8585M

Summary

On 2 July 2013 at about 16:14 local time, a Beechcraft P35 registered N8585M, operated by Michael E. R Read, was involved in an accident near Bridgeport, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

2 July 2013 at 16:14

Classification

Accident

Location

Bridgeport, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Bridgeport Municipal Airport (KXBP)

Coordinates

33.1719, -97.8236

Aircraft

Beechcraft P35

Registration

N8585M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Michael E. R Read

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bridgeport → Bridgeport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13CA389

2 people had minor injuries.

The failure of both the flight instructor and the pilot to monitor and manage the fuel on board, which resulted in an engine failure due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and flight instructor were making touch-and-go landings when the engine lost power. Unable to glide to the runway, they made a forced landing in an open field. During the forced landing, the landing gear was sheared off and the firewall was buckled. The student sustained a serious injury and the flight instructor received minor injuries. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and reported the fuel selector was positioned on the left fuel tank. When electrical power was applied, the left fuel gauge registered empty. No fuel was observed in the left fuel tank. The right fuel tank had not been compromised and contained fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.