Beech 35 accident near Hanover, Michigan, December 17, 1999
On December 17, 1999 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Beech 35, registered N5BB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hanover, Michigan. 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
fuel starvation and the pilot's improper fuel tank selector position. A factor was the swampy terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1999 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hanover, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N5BB · registry record · serial D-1401
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. A police report stated, '[the pilot] stated that while switching fuel tanks to equalize weight, the engine quit. [The pilot] stated that he attempted to switch back to a different fuel tank and still had no response from the engine. [The pilot] stated that he attempted to use the manual fuel hand-pump with no response from the engine.' The pilot landed the airplane in a swampy field adjacent to a road. The aircraft contacted the ground and flipped over during the landing. A postaccident examination of the aircraft revealed no fuel remained in the left fuel tank or auxiliary fuel tank, and approximately 2 inches of fuel remained in the right fuel tank when dipped. No anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft or it's systems. The pilot had purchased the aircraft earlier in the day.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,340 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HHG Huntington IN at 7:15 pm
- Destination: 29C Port Austin MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft; clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:48 pm from JXN, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.