Beechcraft 35 N8319D

Summary

On 24 October 2018 at about 04:36 local time, a Beechcraft 35 registered N8319D was involved in an accident near State College, Pennsylvania, 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

24 October 2018 at 04:36

Classification

Accident

Location

State College, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

University Park (UNV)

Coordinates

40.0000, -77.0000

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35

Registration

N8319D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portsmouth → State College

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA19LA024

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's mismanagement of the available fuel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot reported that he departed on a long, cross-country flight at night with full fuel tanks. The pilot stated that the fuel selector was set to the left main fuel tank on departure and that he moved the selector to the auxiliary tank about 1 hour later. About 1 to 2 hours after that, the pilot moved the fuel selector switch to the right main fuel tank, where it remained for the remainder of the flight (about 30 minutes). The flight was uneventful until it was on final approach to land and between about 400 and 500 ft above ground level, at which point, the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot recalled the passenger saying there was no fuel pressure, and he immediately pushed the throttle and mixture full forward and retracted the flaps. He also turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and pressed the starter button to restart the engine to no avail. The pilot did not switch the fuel selector to another tank. Due to the low altitude, the pilot slowed the airplane and conducted an emergency landing in trees, during which both wings, the fuselage, and the tail section sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The fuel selector was found set to the right main fuel tank, which was found empty of fuel. However, measurable fuel was found in the remaining three tanks. Therefore, the loss of engine power was likely due to the pilot's mismanagement of the available fuel, which resulted in the loss of all engine power due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.