Henderson, NV, USA
N9876R
BEECH M35
On September 15, 2022, about 1130 Pacific daylight time, a Beechcraft M35 airplane, N9876R, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Henderson, Nevada. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that they planned to fly from their home airport in Camarillo, California to satisfy an insurance requirement. The airplane was equipped with a total of 6 fuel tanks; two main fuel tanks, two auxiliary fuel tanks, and two wingtip fuel tanks. Prior to departure the instructor visually checked the main and auxiliary tanks by opening the fuel caps. He verified the fuel quantity of the wingtip tanks by visually observing each tanks’ window gauge. The instructor captured the following main fuel tank levels during his preflight inspection (only the main fuel tanks were used during the accident flight): Fuel Tank Fuel Level Left main (25 gallons total) 3/4 Right main (25 gallons total) Full Table 1: Fuel quantities prior to their departure on the accident flight According to the instructor, they departed for their destination about 1015 and climbed to a cruise altitude of 7,500 ft mean sea level. The pilot receiving instruction (“the pilot”), who was seated in the left seat, stated that about 40 minutes into the flight, and 45 minutes prior to landing, they switched to the right main fuel tank and confirmed that the fuel quantity displayed FULL on the digital fuel gauge. However, approximately 25 minutes later the right main fuel gauge still indicated that the tank was FULL. The instructor and the pilot discussed the abnormality, which they attributed to a faulty sensor, but dismissed the issue after they determined that the tank contained sufficient fuel to complete the flight to their destination. About 15 minutes later, the pilot began a straight-in approach to runway 35L, and the airplane began an uncommanded descent. He increased the airplane’s angle of attack and added power, but did not receive a response from the engine. The pilot then informed the instructor of the loss of power while he advanced the throttle to the full open position. As the pilot continued to fly the airplane, the instructor selected the left main tank on the fuel selector to restore engine power, but he was unsuccessful and the airplane continued to descend towards a road south of the runway. The airplane touched down in the dirt, impacted a berm and came to rest on a road about 0.2 nm south of the runway. Postaccident photographs showed substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector observed the following fuel levels about one hour after the accident: Fuel Tank Fuel Level Left main (25 gallons total) 1/2 Right main (25 gallons total) Empty Table 2: Fuel quantities one hour after the accident The wreckage was retained for further examination.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
