Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
La Luz, New Mexico 88337
Saturday, February 21, 2009 10:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was receiving an "initial aircraft familiarization" from the designated pilot examiner. As they were returning to the airport, the engine lost power and the examiner noticed that the fuel pressure had dropped. The electric boost pump was switched on, and the examiner directed the pilot to start pumping the warbler pump. Fuel pressure rose slightly to 2.5 pounds per square inch and the engine restarted and ran for about 20 seconds. Gliding towards an open field, the examiner lowered the landing gear and raised the nose to clear some power lines. He felt "a snag" on the left main gear "which diverted our flight path slightly to the left." The airplane touched down and, during the landing roll, it struck a dirt berm that collapsed the nose gear and spun the airplane around. The right wing was bent and the left wing sustained spar damage when it struck mesquite bushes. The airplane was later examined by the pilot's mechanic. In an e-mail to the pilot, the mechanic reported finding "what appeared to be a dirt doppler nest in the right fuel tank vent," causing a vacuum and preventing fuel from flowing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a blockage in the right fuel tank vent.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/21/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | La Luz |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88337 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 325707N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1055808W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1025 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ALM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4200 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.33 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KALM 211705Z AUTO 19013G18KT 10SM CLR 09/M12 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25411 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB Communications Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 2 2009 2:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8799A |
| NTSB Number | CEN09LA170 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-2221 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2850 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Feb 2 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 5079 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Sale Reported |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 78 Highway 82 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Alamogordo |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 88310 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Sale Reported |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 78 Highway 82 |
| Operator City | Alamogordo |
| Operator State | NM |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 88310 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | International |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ALM |
| Departure City | Alamogordo |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1005 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ALM |
| Destination City | Alamogordo |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 22 2009 6:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | scoa |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |