Beech V35B accident near Tupelo, Mississippi, April 18, 2005
On April 18, 2005 at about 10:07 pm local time, a Beech V35B, registered N6645G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tupelo, Mississippi (Tupelo Municipal - C D Lemons airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the inadequate in-flight planning and the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane resulting in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2005 · about 10:07 pm local time
- Place
- Tupelo, Mississippi · Tupelo Municipal - C D Lemons · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6645G · no longer on the register · serial D-10271
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement the pilot reported that while on the return leg of the cross-county flight he noted (via the panel mounted fuel gauges) a lower than expected total fuel quantity. The pilot stated that after reviewing his fuel receipt, he discovered that the airplane had received 15 gallons total at the last fuel stop. He further stated that he had intended for 15 gallons to be added to each wing tank for a total of 30 gallons. The pilot reported that he recalculated the fuel load and determined that he had sufficient fuel to complete the trip. Approximately two hours later, while in a descent to his planned destination, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot later reported that he should have used manual calculations of fuel quantity to backup gauge indications.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,240 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,121 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 20, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,379 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 8, 2005; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FWA Fort Wayne IN at 8:30 pm
- Destination: TUP Tupelo MS
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 10:24 pm from KTUP, 1 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.