Beechcraft J35 accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, November 18, 2006
On November 18, 2006 at about 2:30 am local time, a Beechcraft J35, registered N8246D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Flagstaff, Arizona (Flagstaff Pulliam airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning while on approach which lead to a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2006 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Flagstaff, Arizona · Flagstaff Pulliam · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft J35 · all J35s on the register
- Registration
- N8246D · no longer on the register · serial D-5350
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At the completion of a cross country flight the engine experienced a loss of power while the aircraft was on approach. The aircraft collided with trees and came to rest about 300 yards north of the approach end of the runway. A witness located near the airport described hearing an aircraft on approach to the airport. The witness then heard the aircraft's engine surge and rev loudly three times before going silent. About 10 seconds after hearing the engine go silent, the witness reported hearing a loud crash. The witness then proceeded toward the sound of the crash and found the aircraft near one of the outlying lights of the approach lighting system. He noted that there was no smell of fuel at the accident site. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft and found that the left main fuel tank had been compromised and there were 5 gallons of fuel in the right main tank. He noted that the fuel selector was in the auxiliary tanks position. The before landing checklist in the aircraft flight manual for the accident airplane indicated that prior to landing, the fuel selector must be positioned to the "Main Tank More Nearly Full." The inspector removed the inlet and outlet lines from the fuel manifold and observed no fuel in any line.
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: 666 hours in all; 267 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 581 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,736 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E91 Chinle AZ
- Destination: FLG Flagstaff AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from FLG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX07LA037.