Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Iowa City Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
Sunday, August 23, 1998 12:40 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Examination of the aircraft found the fuel selector was selected to the left main fuel tank and the left main fuel tank was 3/4 full of a light blue colored fuel. The right tank was empty and the 20 gallon auxiliary fuel tank was estimated to be 1/2-3/4 full of fuel. The engine, Teledyne Continental E185-11, serial number 26643-D-8-11, was shipped to Teledyne Continental Motors for examination and testing under the supervision of the National Transportation Safety Board. The testing and examination revealed no anomalies. The limitations section of the Beechcraft B35 Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) states, 'Do not take off when the Fuel Quantity Gages indicate in the Yellow Band or with less than 10 gallons in each main tank.'. Furthermore, the systems description of fuel tank selection in the POH states, 'In no case should a take-off be made ... with less than 10 gallons of fuel in each main tank.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The fuel starvation due to improper fuel management by the pilot-in-command. Also, the aircraft procedures and directives which were not followed by the pilot-in-command is an additional cause. The rough and uneven terrain in addition to the low altitude of the aircraft were contributing factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/23/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1240 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | IOWA CITY |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 52240 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | IOWA CITY MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | IOW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 240 |
| Airport Elevation | 668 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IOW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 668 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Dawn |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1406 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 23 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1515 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2001 1:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5210C |
| NTSB Number | CHI98LA328 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | B35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | B35 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2555 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 4200 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GORDON AIRCRAFT INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 2088 |
| Aircraft Owner City | IOWA CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | IA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 52244 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | IOW |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1215 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2001 1:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 4355 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |