Beech J35 accident near Englewood, Colorado, August 14, 1995
On August 14, 1995 at about 2:42 pm local time, a Beech J35, registered N8344D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADVERTENT ACTIVATION OF THE FUEL BOOST PUMP BY EITHER THE PILOT (WHO WAS BEING INSTRUCTED) OR BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE BRIEFING OF IMPROPER LEANING PROCEDURES BY THE CFI, LOCATION OF THE BOOST PUMP SWITCH NEXT TO THE THROTTLE WITHOUT A SAFEGUARD TO PREVENT ITS INADVERTENT OPERATION, AND THE CFI'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THIS AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1995 · about 2:42 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech J35 · all J35s on the register
- Registration
- N8344D · no longer on the register · serial D-5448
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF ON A MOUNTAIN FLYING INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT (WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR & 2 PILOTS ABOARD) LIFTED OFF ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE 4903' RUNWAY. HOWEVER, AFTER LIFT-OFF, IT FAILED TO CLIMB SUFFICIENTLY TO CLEAR THE PERIMETER FENCE, WHICH WAS ON HIGHER TERRAIN ABOUT 1560' FROM THE RUNWAY. THE FENCE WAS AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 60' ABOVE THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A FIELD ABOUT 140' FROM THE FENCE. NO AIRCRAFT OR SYSTEM FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS ON DURING TAKEOFF (ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP WAS OPERATING NORMALLY). DURING A TEST RUN, THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY WITH THE BOOST PUMP OFF. WITH THE BOOST PUMP AT LOW BOOST, THERE WAS A 500 TO 700 RPM LOSS OF RPM; AT HIGH BOOST, THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. THE LOCATION AND DESIGN OF THE BOOST PUMP SWITCH WAS NON-STANDARD HAVING BEEN MOVED DURING AN STC AIRCRAFT ALTERATION. THE SWITCH WAS LOCATED NEXT TO THE THROTTLE, WHERE IT COULD BE INADVERTENTLY OPERATED, AND IT HAD NO SAFEGUARD TO PREVENT SUCH OPERATION. INVESTIGATION ALSO REVEALED THAT THERE WERE NO LEANING PROCEDURES INCORPORATED IN THE PILOT MANUAL. THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) HAD BRIEFED THE PILOTS TO LEAN THE ENGINE BY USING THE RPM. THE MANUFACTURER REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE PROPERLY LEANED BY USING THE RPM GAUGE, SINCE IT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A CONSTANT SPEED PROPELLER.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,950 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 307 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 3,700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,348 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 1995; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA at 2:40 pm
- Destination: LXV Leadville CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 10, 4,903 ft by 62 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from APA, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.