Beech B35 accident near La Luz, New Mexico, February 21, 2009
On February 21, 2009 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Beech B35, registered N8799A, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near La Luz, New Mexico. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a blockage in the right fuel tank vent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 21, 2009 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- La Luz, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B35 · all B35s on the register
- Registration
- N8799A · no longer on the register · serial D-2221
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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 maneuvering
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Malfunction
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,050 hours in all; 32 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 13, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 125 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 26, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,079 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2009; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ALM Alamogordo NM at 5:05 pm
- Destination: ALM Alamogordo NM
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 5:25 pm from ALM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.