Beech J35 accident near Bartlesville, Oklahoma, April 15, 2005
On April 15, 2005 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Beech J35, registered N8396D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bartlesville, Oklahoma (Bartlesville Municipal Airport). 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
A loss of engine power due to the pilot's inadvertent and improper positioning of the fuel tank selector, which resulted in fuel starvation. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2005 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma · Bartlesville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech J35 · all J35s on the register
- Registration
- N8396D · registry record · serial D-5510
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 3,767-hour commercial pilot was getting ready to make a 180-degree turn for a 45-degree entry to a right downwind for runway 17, when the engine started sputtering. He immediately reached down and turned the fuel selector from the "left main" tank to what he thought was the "auxiliary" tank position. Subsequently, the engine stopped producing power. He then switched the auxiliary fuel pump to the "on" position, thinking that the engine would resume running momentarily, but it did not. The pilot then looked to the airport and realized that he would not be able to make it to the runway. The pilot then began to look for a suitable location for a forced landing. The pilot extended the airplane's landing gear and elected to land in an open pasture. After touching down in the pasture, he observed a ditch in his path which he would not be able to avoid. After the accident, the pilot discovered that he had turned the fuel selector to the "off" position, instead of the "auxiliary" position.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,767 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 3,767 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 22, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BVO Bartlesville OK at 5:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 6,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from BVO
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.