Beech H35 accident near Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, September 9, 2009
On September 9, 2009 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Beech H35, registered N5469D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania (Farmers Pride 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 fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's mismanagement of available fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2009 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania · Farmers Pride · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech H35 · all H35s on the register
- Registration
- N5469D · no longer on the register · serial D-4954
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he took off with 10 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot operating handbook stated that 10 gallons of fuel in each tank was required. Enroute, the engine lost power, and the pilot performed a forced landing in a residential area about 1,500 feet from an airport runway. An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel selector was on the right tank, and that there was no fuel in either tank, although any remaining fuel from the left tank could have leaked out when the wing separated from the fuselage. The fuel feed system on the airplane provided, depending on power settings, 6 to 25 gallons per hour of fuel return to the left tank, and the airplane flew 20 to 25 minutes. Although the loss of engine power occurred at a relatively low altitude, there was no evidence that the pilot attempted to utilize the fuel remaining in the left tank either before or after the event.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,003 hours in all; 760 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 5, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,025 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8PA1 Ono PA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 8PA1 Ono PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from MDT, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.