Beech H35 accident near Grain Valley, Missouri, February 17, 2009
On February 17, 2009 at about 3:28 pm local time, a Beech H35, registered N7942D, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Grain Valley, Missouri (East Kansas City Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation (mechanical). Contributing to the accident was the forced landing on unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 2009 · about 3:28 pm local time
- Place
- Grain Valley, Missouri · East Kansas City Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech H35 · all H35s on the register
- Registration
- N7942D · no longer on the register · serial D-5192
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that shortly after takeoff, the aircraft's engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but without success. He made a forced landing in an open field. During the landing roll-out, the left wing struck a tree causing the airplane to spin around. The wing's leading edge was wrinkled, the wing spar was damaged, and the nose gear strut assembly was sheared off. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies prior to the engine losing power. An examination of the airplane' s engine and engine driven fuel pump revealed "foreign matter under the pressure relief valve", which allowed "fuel to bypass" the carburetor and return to the fuel tank instead.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during initial climb
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Malfunction
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,695 hours in all; 990 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 5,640 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 28, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,369 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3GV Grain Valley MO at 3:28 pm
- Destination: K59 Atchison KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:30 pm from lxt, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.