Beech F33A accident near Emerson, Nebraska, September 16, 2005
On September 16, 2005 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Beech F33A, registered N8225F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Emerson, Nebraska. It was a business 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 the pilot's failure to verify the fuel selector position which resulted in fuel starvation. Factors were the low altitude, the crops and the fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2005 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Emerson, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F33A · all F33As on the register
- Registration
- N8225F · no longer on the register · serial CE-1597
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a complete loss of engine power. The pilot reported that while in flight at 1,800 feet above ground level, he experienced a loss of power about 10 seconds after switching fuel tanks. He also reported a loss of fuel pressure. An engine run subsequent to the accident confirmed engine operation. During the engine run, it was found that failure to place the fuel selector valve within the detent would result in power loss due to fuel starvation. The pilot reported that he was over rolling terrain with crops and during the landing the airplane contacted corn crops and a barbed wire fence.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 2,400 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 3,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OFK Norfolk NE at 4:45 pm
- Destination: SUX Sioux City IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N8225F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.