Beech C35 accident near Chickasha, Oklahoma, July 19, 1997
On July 19, 1997 at about 5:10 am local time, a Beech C35, registered N1878D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chickasha, Oklahoma (Chickasha 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
the pilot's improper positioning of the fuel selector, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's failure to follow the checklist, and 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
- July 19, 1997 · about 5:10 am local time
- Place
- Chickasha, Oklahoma · Chickasha Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C35 · all C35s on the register
- Registration
- N1878D · no longer on the register · serial D-3149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been practicing night landings at the Chickasha Municipal Airport. While in the traffic pattern (for runway 17), the engine lost power, and the pilot initiated a forced landing. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a fence and crossed a ditch, collapsing the nose landing gear. The airplane came to rest inverted approximately one half mile north of runway 17. The pilot reported that he had selected the left fuel tank, and 'thinks the engine quit because there was no fuel left in the left fuel tank.' Examination of the fuel system revealed that there was no fuel in the left main fuel tank and tip tank. The fuel selector was positioned to the left tank, and there was no evidence of fuel spillage from that tank. The right main fuel tank contained fuel; it was leaking fuel from its filler cap. The Pilot's Operating Handbook for the airplane stated in Section IV, Normal Procedures, page 4-10, Before Landing, 'Fuel Selector Valve - SELECT MAIN TANK MORE NEARLY FULL.'
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: 64 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,731 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185-11 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 am from OKC, 24 miles away
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.