Beechcraft M35 N9306Y

Summary

On 22 January 2023 at about 17:27 local time, a Beechcraft M35 registered N9306Y, operated by TFF, Inc, was involved in an accident near Tomball, Texas, United States. One person was 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

22 January 2023 at 17:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Tomball, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.0500, -95.6795

Aircraft

Beechcraft M35

Registration

N9306Y

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

1

Operator

TFF, Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Liberty

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA088

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power during cruise flight for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting an aerial survey flight when the engine lost all power during cruise flight. The pilot was unable to restore engine power and he conducted a forced landing to a multi-lane highway. The airplane’s right main landing gear impacted the roof of a semi-trailer before the airplane rolled left wing down and descended into a concrete highway median. A postaccident fire ensued that destroyed most of the fuselage, cabin, and cockpit. A comprehensive examination of the airplane’s fuel system was not possible due to extensive thermal damage sustained during the postaccident fire. About 25 gallons of fuel was reportedly recovered from the fuel system before the wreckage was moved, but the amount of fuel recovered from each fuel tank was not individually documented. Both left and right wingtip fuel tanks exhibited extensive thermal damage and no residual fuel was found within the wingtip tanks. Fuel drained from the fuel selector when it was removed from the wreckage. The airframe fuel filter contained 1/8 to 1/4 cup of fuel. The fuel strainer was largely unobstructed, with only minor debris present. The airplane’s digital engine monitor was destroyed during the postaccident fire. Based on the pilot’s explanation of the fuel load, how the fuel was used during the flight, and a reported fuel consumption rate of 13.5 gallons per hour during cruise flight, there should have been ample fuel remaining to sustain normal engine operation. Examination of the engine did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation. Ultimately, the investigation was unable to determine the reason for the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.