Beechcraft 35 N533JW

Summary

On 4 August 2018 at about 20:00 local time, a Beechcraft 35 registered N533JW was involved in an accident near Knox, Indiana, United States. 4 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

4 August 2018 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Knox, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Starke County Airport (OXI)

Coordinates

41.2900, -86.6306

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35

Registration

N533JW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lacon → Knox

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA319

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot and three passengers were on a cross-country flight in a single-engine airplane. About 10 miles from the destination airport, the pilot switched to the fullest fuel tank, entered the traffic pattern, and reduced the throttle to slow the airplane. While on final approach, he advanced the throttle; however, the engine did not respond. The pilot turned the boost pump on to "emergency – high," but the engine still did not respond. Shortly after, the pilot turned the boost pump off and conducted a forced landing in a field, during which the engine was bent downward from the firewall and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. The on-site examination found sufficient fuel available in each of the wing fuel tanks. Additionally, fuel was present in the fuel lines near the engine's fuel manifold. A detailed engine examination and download of the engine monitor were conducted after airplane recovery. A review of the engine data for the day of the accident found three files. The last file corresponded to the accident flight, and the monitor indicated 30.4 gallons used. The pilot reported the fuel at last takeoff was 33 gallons. The engine examination did not find any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Although data from the engine monitor indicated that the airplane was very low on fuel, the on-site examination showed various levels of fuel available in the fuel tanks. Thus, it is likely that the airplane's engine monitor did not accurately reflect the airplane's correct fuel state. Based on the available evidence, the reason for the total loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.