N595B – BEECH A35 – 1993-01-21 NTSB Accident Report

On January 21, 1993, a Beech A35 (N595B) was involved in an accident near Tulare, CA. The accident resulted in 2 fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: THE INSTALLATION OF AN UNAPPROVED WING TIP FUEL TANK SYSTEM; AN INADEQUATE ANNUAL INSPECTION WHICH DID NOT NOTE, OR CORRECT, THE UNAPPROVED FUEL SYSTEM ADDITION; A WING TANK FUEL SELECTOR VALVE INSTALLATION WITHOUT ADEQUATE PLACARDS TO SHOW POSITION OR OPERATION; AND INCORRECT INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PILOTS BY THE OWNER AND MECHANIC ON POSITIONING FUEL SELECTOR VALVES WHICH LED TO INADVERTENT MISPOSITIONING BY THE PILOTS AND SUBSEQUENT FUEL STARVATION. IN ADDITION, THE PILOT AT THE CONTROLS FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED FOLLOWING THE POWER LOSS WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL WAS THE DARK NIGHT LIGHT CONDITION.

This accident is documented in NTSB report LAX93FA097. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N595B.