Beech 35-33 accident near Lincoln, Nebraska, June 26, 2006
On June 26, 2006 at about 9:12 pm local time, a Beech 35-33, registered N983T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lincoln, Nebraska (Lincoln Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of inaccurate fuel consumption calculations and inadequate monitoring of the remaining fuel quantity en route. A contributing factor was the inadequate supervision of the instructional flight by the flight instructor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2006 · about 9:12 pm local time
- Place
- Lincoln, Nebraska · Lincoln Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-33 · all 35-33s on the register
- Registration
- N983T · no longer on the register · serial CD-190
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional 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 on final approach. The pilot and one passenger were uninjured. The flight instructor sustained minor injuries. A second passenger sustained serious injuries. The instrument instructional flight departed about 1300. The accident occurred at 1612 while the airplane was on final approach to intended destination airport. The pilot stated that the flight proceeded normally with a deviation due to an active Military Operations Area (MOA) en route. He noted that winds aloft were about 10 knots from 9 to 10 o'clock relative to the direct flight route. The winds were estimated to add 10 to 15 minutes to the flight time. On final approach, about 1-1/2 miles from the runway, the "engine died with no warning." The pilot noted that the fuel selector was set to the right main tank at the time of the loss of power. The crew subsequently switched to the left tank and activated the auxiliary fuel pump in an unsuccessful effort to restore engine power. A post accident inspection recovered one quart of fuel from the right main fuel tank and 3-1/2 gallons from the left main fuel tank. The fuel tanks did not appear to have been compromised during the accident sequence. The pilot stated that the flight departed with the main tanks topped off, 44 gallons useable, and the auxiliary fuel tanks empty. The flight plan filed with the Federal Aviation Administration showed an estimated time en route of 3 hours and total fuel on-board of 4 hours and 30 minutes. The flight prior to the accident flight was over the same course, except in the opposite direction. According to information provided by the pilot and the fixed base operator at the departure airport, the prior flight lasted approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes. The airplane was fueled with 41 gallons. Performance data provided by the manufacturer indicated that the expected fuel burn at 7,000 feet pressure altitude was: 12.9 gallons-per-hour (gph) at 75-percent power; 11.5 gph at 65-percent power, and 9.8 gph at 55-percent power. The prior owner of the accident aircraft stated he normally planned a fuel burn of 14 gph when he flew the airplane.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,333 hours in all; 374 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 2,964 as pilot in command; 634 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 82 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 30 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,177 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TDW Amarillo TX at 6:00 pm
- Destination: LNK Lincoln NE
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 5,400 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from LNK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.