Beech 35 accident near Kremmling, Colorado, December 16, 1995
On December 16, 1995 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Beech 35, registered N1969D, was destroyed in an accident near Kremmling, Colorado. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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 student pilot's improper positioning of the fuel selector and the the CFI's inadequate fuel management. Factors in the accident were: the unmarked fuel selector and the CFI's excessive descent rate during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 1995 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kremmling, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N1969D · no longer on the register · serial D3252
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After approximately 2 hours on a local area student training flight, the engine lost power following takeoff from a touch-and-go. A forced landing was made in a field and the aircraft remained intact following a high-g, flat, wings-level touchdown. Examination revealed the right wing fuel tank and auxiliary tank were empty, and the left tank contained 7 gallons. The fuel tank selector was between the left and right tank, and in that position would not pass fuel. The selector is located on the floor by the outboard forward corner of the left pilot's seat which the student pilot was occupying. It is not accessible or visible from the right pilot's seat. There were no markings on the selector panel; however, detents could be easily discerned by feel.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,066 hours in all; 637 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 637 as pilot in command; 405 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,715 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1995; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 20V at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from EGE, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.