Beech B35 accident near Iowa City, Iowa, August 23, 1998
On August 23, 1998 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Beech B35, registered N5210C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Iowa City, Iowa (Iowa City Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fuel starvation due to improper fuel management by the pilot-in-command. Also, the aircraft procedures and directives which were not followed by the pilot-in-command is an additional cause. The rough and uneven terrain in addition to the low altitude of the aircraft were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1998 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Iowa City, Iowa · Iowa City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B35 · all B35s on the register
- Registration
- N5210C · no longer on the register · serial 2555
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Examination of the aircraft found the fuel selector was selected to the left main fuel tank and the left main fuel tank was 3/4 full of a light blue colored fuel. The right tank was empty and the 20 gallon auxiliary fuel tank was estimated to be 1/2-3/4 full of fuel. The engine, Teledyne Continental E185-11, serial number 26643-D-8-11, was shipped to Teledyne Continental Motors for examination and testing under the supervision of the National Transportation Safety Board. The testing and examination revealed no anomalies. The limitations section of the Beechcraft B35 Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) states, 'Do not take off when the Fuel Quantity Gages indicate in the Yellow Band or with less than 10 gallons in each main tank.'. Furthermore, the systems description of fuel tank selection in the POH states, 'In no case should a take-off be made ... with less than 10 gallons of fuel in each main tank.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,800 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185-11 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IOW at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,355 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from IOW, 1 miles away
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.
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.