Beechcraft 35 N5474D

Summary

On 28 December 2020 at about 02:12 local time, a Beechcraft 35 registered N5474D was involved in an accident near Santa Ynez, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 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

28 December 2020 at 02:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Ynez, California, United States

Nearest airport

Santa Ynez (IZA)

Coordinates

34.6079, -120.0843

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35

Registration

N5474D

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

Lake Havasu City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR21LA075

3 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s mismanagement of fuel, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

As the pilot entered the vicinity to the destination airport, he switched the fuel selector from the right main tank (which was indicating close to empty) to the left main tank (indicating slightly less than half full). As he manipulated the selector handle, the engine experienced a total loss of power. Concerned that the fuel selector was malfunctioning, the pilot placed the selector back on the right tank and attempted to troubleshoot the failure. Despite his efforts, the pilot was unable to retore the engine power and made on off-airport landing into a fence. A postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane had been modified with a fuel-injected engine. The fuel system was designed for excess fuel at the engine-driven fuel pump to be routed back to the left main wing tank. At normal operating power, about 8-10 gph would be returned to the left tank (as opposed to the carbureted equipped airplane, which would return about 3 gph). The pilot used all the fuel from the right-wing tank and the excess fuel was being ported to the left main tank. The pilot starved the engine for fuel while on the right tank selection and that likely resulted in air entering the fuel system. When the pilot switched to the left main tank, he was either too late or did not allow enough time for the air to purge with the electric fuel pump activated. As a result of this fuel mismanagement, the engine was unable to receive adequate fuel to restart.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.