Beech 35 accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, August 6, 2009
On August 6, 2009, a Beech 35, registered N4554V, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s improper fuel planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2009
- Place
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N4554V · no longer on the register · serial D-1383
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed and was destined for an airport 17 miles away for a planned fuel stop. While at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet and about 8 miles from his planned destination, the airplane's single engine stopped producing power. The pilot was able to restart the engine after he activated the electric fuel pump and selected the left fuel tank. The engine continued to produce power until approximately 3 miles from the destination airport when it again lost complete power. The pilot selected a field and executed a forced landing. During the landing rollout the airplane nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position. The pilot was able to exit the airplane unassisted. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the airplane’s fuel tanks were not breached and contained only a residual amount of fuel. The inspector further reported that the vegetation underneath the fuel tanks did not exhibit signatures of a fuel spill.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 547 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 547 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,241 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor E185 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Integrity Aviation Solutions LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 330K Edmond OK at 11:50 pm
- Destination: HSD Oklahoma City OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
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.