Beech K35 accident near Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 8, 1994
On July 8, 1994 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech K35, registered N153C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Rapids, Michigan (Kent County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper fuel tank selection resulting in fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1994 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Rapids, Michigan · Kent County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech K35 · all K35s on the register
- Registration
- N153C · registry record · serial D5966
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER COMPLETING THREE PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APPROACHES, THE PILOT PREPARED TO RETURN TO HIS DEPARTURE AIRPORT WHEN THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT INITIATED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING. AFTER REALIZING THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT LEVELED THE WINGS AND RAISED THE NOSE IN PREPARATION FOR IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. AFTER IMPACT, THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED TO REST. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO BE IN THE LEFT INBOARD POSITION. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FUEL TANK REVEALED THE TANK WAS LOW TO EMPTY. ALL TANKS WERE INTACT AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL SPILL AT THE SCENE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 789 hours in all; 336 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 629 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,593 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 1993; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Y70 Ionia MI at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 3,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,600 ft; scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Observation at 9:17 pm from GRR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N153C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI94LA225.