Beech 35 accident near Lincoln, Nebraska, February 9, 1999
On February 9, 1999 at about 1:10 am local time, a Beech 35, registered N5540D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lincoln, Nebraska. 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
the pilot's failure to perform an aircraft preflight which resulted in him selecting a fuel tank which had insufficient fuel for the flight and the subsequent fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 1999 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Lincoln, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N5540D · no longer on the register · serial D-5095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot last preflighted the airplane 2 days prior to the accident day. On the day of the accident he flew from Wahoo, NE, to Lincoln and was returning to Wahoo. Shortly after takeoff form Lincoln, at an altitude of 2,000 to 2,500 feet agl the engine lost power. The airplane was landed on a golf course near the airport. Post accident inspection revealed the left main fuel tank was empty. The right main and auxiliary tanks contained fuel. The pilot stated that he used the left main tank for the takeoff.
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
- Flight time: 247 hours in all; 195 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 317 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNK Lincoln NE at 1:05 am
- Destination: AHQ Wahoo NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 am from LNK
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.