Beech V35B accident near Santa Barbara, California, April 21, 1996
On April 21, 1996 at about 8:11 pm local time, a Beech V35B, registered N8711V, was destroyed in an accident near Santa Barbara, California (Santa Barbara Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to select a fuel tank containing an adequate quantity of fuel prior to landing, which resulted in fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 1996 · about 8:11 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Barbara, California · Santa Barbara Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8711V · no longer on the register · serial D-9123
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At the end of the cross-country flight, the pilot made a reduced power descent over a nearby 4,000-foot mountain ridge in order to land at the sea level airport. The pilot continued his descent in the airport traffic pattern and, while on final approach for landing, attempted to add engine power to adjust his approach flight path. When the throttle was advanced there was no response from the engine and the aircraft subsequently landed short of the runway. When examined after the accident, the engine, which was exposed to a postcrash fire and fire fighting activities, contained no fuel, and only a small quantity of a foul smelling blackish/brown liquid. The pilot reported that the right-hand tank had been selected and that he had flown approximately 2.5 hours while drawing fuel from that tank. The engine was subsequently run satisfactorily in a test cell.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,788 hours in all; 1,517 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,625 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1996; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SNS Salinas CA at 7:40 pm
- Destination: SBA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 6,052 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:17 pm from SBA
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.