Beech H35 accident near Boulder, Colorado, September 19, 1996
On September 19, 1996 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Beech H35, registered N5428D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 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 a plugged fuel tank vent 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
- September 19, 1996 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech H35 · all H35s on the register
- Registration
- N5428D · no longer on the register · serial D-4934
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At an altitude of 200 feet above ground level, following a touch and go landing, a total loss of power occurred and a forced landing was conducted on rough and uneven terrain. Examination of the aircraft provided evidence that the left fuel tank, which had been selected, had a totally blocked fuel vent due to a mud based insect nest. The nest was internal in the vent and could not be seen during normal inspection. The aircraft had not been flown in 20 days prior to the accident flight.
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
- Flight time: 1,343 hours in all; 213 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,317 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,921 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1996; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1V5
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.