Beech K35 accident near Montrose, Colorado, June 26, 2002
On June 26, 2002 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Beech K35, registered N9518R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montrose, Colorado. It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to follow published aircraft operating procedures, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2002 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Montrose, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech K35 · all K35s on the register
- Registration
- N9518R · no longer on the register · serial D-6068
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he was practicing flight maneuvers between 500 to 1100 feet above ground level. He said the fuel selector was on the left main tank, and the engine began to sputter. He switched the fuel selector to the right main tank, but did not turn on the boost pump. All attempts to restart the engine failed and he made a forced landing in a bean field, subsequently wrinkling the fuselage, and bending several bulkheads and the lower centerline spar carry through members. An FAA inspector examined the accident aircraft and found the left main fuel tank empty, the right main tank was approximately half full (about 11 gallons), and the auxiliary selector position (two 10 gallon tanks feed one position) with approximately 15 gallons of fuel. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for the airplane states that the engine air start procedure includes turning the auxiliary fuel pump on "until power is regained, then off." A published temporary change to the POH states: The addition of a placard to the fuel selector to warn of the no-flow condition that exists between the fuel selector detents.
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: 528 hours in all; 246 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 484 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 31, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,048 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2001; 92 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: MTJ Montrose CO at 12:32 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from MJT, 8 miles away
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.