Pilot Debrief

BEECH H35 near Grain Valley, MO — 2009-02-17

Final reportCEN09LA167
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Date
2009-02-17
Location
Grain Valley, MO, USA
Airport
3GV
Aircraft
BEECH H35
Registration
N7942D
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation (mechanical). Contributing to the accident was the forced landing on unsuitable terrain.

NTSB narrative

The pilot said that shortly after takeoff, the aircraft's engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but without success. He made a forced landing in an open field. During the landing roll-out, the left wing struck a tree causing the airplane to spin around. The wing's leading edge was wrinkled, the wing spar was damaged, and the nose gear strut assembly was sheared off. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies prior to the engine losing power. An examination of the airplane' s engine and engine driven fuel pump revealed "foreign matter under the pressure relief valve", which allowed "fuel to bypass" the carburetor and return to the fuel tank instead.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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