Beech V35 accident near Telluride, Colorado, February 22, 1999
On February 22, 1999 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Beech V35, registered N345MD, was destroyed in an accident near Telluride, Colorado (Telluride Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the ingestion of air in the fuel line, the pilot's failure to purge the fuel line of unwanted air prior to flight as outlined in the Airplane Flight Manual, and inadequate altitude in which to glide to the airport.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 1999 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Telluride, Colorado · Telluride Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35 · all V35s on the register
- Registration
- N345MD · no longer on the register · serial D-8366
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had been cruising at 16,000 feet and fuel had been drawn from the left tank for one hour. Approximately 30 seconds after the pilot switched the fuel selector valve from the left main to the right tip tank, the engine lost power. The pilot was able to glide the airplane 10 miles to the Telluride Regional Airport, elevation 9,078 feet msl, but struck the ground about 30 feet short of the runway. The tips tanks were last used 16 months before the accident. The tip tank manufacturer said it was possible that trapped air in the tip tank fuel line could have caused the engine to lose power when the pilot moved the fuel selector to the right tip tank, and it was also possible the pilot flooded the engine with excess fuel when she selected LOW BOOST during the restart attempt. The pilot was unaware of the procedure to follow for purging air from the fuel system.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 345 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 276 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,370 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 1999; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBS Steamboat Sprng CO at 4:20 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9, 6,870 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from TEX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.