N5448D

On September 17, 2000, at 1800 central daylight time, a Beech H35 airplane, N5448D, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power at the Wagoner Municipal Airport, Wagoner, Oklahoma. The private pilot, who was the registered owner and operator of the airplane, and his two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight originated from the Wagoner Municipal Airport at 1715.

According to the pilot, the flight departed from runway 17 and remained in the traffic pattern executing touch-and-go landings. During an approach to the runway, he switched the fuel selector from the auxiliary tanks to the left main tank. The airplane touched down and he then "reconfigured" the airplane for takeoff. The airplane departed, the landing gear was retracted, and while climbing through 75 feet agl, the engine lost total power. The pilot attempted to re-start the engine, but the engine did not re-start. During the ensuing forced landing, to the runway overrun area, the airplane contacted a barbed wire fence, crossed over a state highway, and came to rest upright in a ditch. The pilot added that the boost pump was "still running," after the airplane came to a stop.

According to the FAA inspector, who examined the airplane at the site, the empennage was twisted and both propeller blades, 7 inches inboard from the blade-tip, were bent back 90 degrees. He stated that, when he looked in each of the airplane's fuel tanks, he observed that the auxiliary fuel tanks were empty and the main fuel tanks were full. He added that the cockpit fuel selector was in the left main tank position and that a sample of fuel from the left main fuel tank was "clear and free of contaminants."

In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, in the section "Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented)," the pilot stated the following; "Select the fullest tank long before final and touchdown and confirm [fuel] selector handle is in detent on fullest tank."