N9518R

On June 26, 2002, at approximately 0715 mountain daylight time, a Beech K35, N9518R, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a field following a loss of engine power near Montrose, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole occupant onboard, was not injured. A private individual was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight that originated approximately 43 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.

In his written statement, the pilot said he switched to the right main fuel tank after leaving the practice area en route to fly over a friend's ranch 5 miles to the south. He maneuvered over the ranch, and was in a left climbing bank on his way back to the airport when the engine quit. He pushed the engine controls forward, and "switched the fuel selector to the aux position momentarily with still no change noted." The pilot then moved the fuel selector back to the right main tank, and verified that the circuit breakers and magnetos were normal. All efforts to restart the engine failed. The pilot made a forced landing in a bean field, subsequently wrinkling the fuselage, and bending several bulkheads and the lower centerline spar carry through members.

The pilot told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector that he departed Montrose to practice flight maneuvers. He said he was maneuvering the aircraft between 500 to 1100 feet above ground level while practicing ground maneuvers. The pilot said the fuel selector was on the left main tank. The engine started to sputter, and he switched the selector to the right main tank, but did not turn on the boost pump. All attempts to restart the engine failed and he made a forced landing in a bean field.

An FAA inspector examined the accident aircraft on July 6, 2002, and found the left main fuel tank empty, the right main tank was approximately half full (about 11 gallons), and the auxiliary selector position (two 10 gallon tanks feed one position) with approximately 15 gallons of fuel. Continuity of the throttle and the mixture lines were established, and no abnormalities were found in any of the fuel system's components.

The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for the airplane states that the engine air start procedure includes turning the auxiliary fuel pump on "until power is regained, then off." A published temporary change to the POH states: The addition of a placard to the fuel selector to warn of the no-flow condition that exists between the fuel selector detents.