Beech S35 accident near Medford, Oregon, March 24, 1998
On March 24, 1998 at about 9:02 pm local time, a Beech S35, registered N3MG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Medford, Oregon (Rogue Valley Intl-Medford airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate fuel management. Factors were the pilot's diverted attention and soft terrain in the forced landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 1998 · about 9:02 pm local time
- Place
- Medford, Oregon · Rogue Valley Intl-Medford · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech S35 · all S35s on the register
- Registration
- N3MG · registry record · serial D-7856
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that on final, after being cleared to land, the engine quit without warning. Attempts to regain engine power, which included switching fuel tanks, were unsuccessful, and the pilot made a forced landing onto soft terrain 1/4 mile short of the runway. At the accident scene, 23 ounces of fuel were found in the left tank and 14 gallons of fuel were in the right tank. The pilot acknowledged that the power loss was due to fuel starvation, and stated that no mechanical failure or malfunction was involved in the accident. He stated that at about the time he was to have switched to the right tank, he became occupied with donning oxygen on himself and his children, and that shortly afterward his daughter started not feeling well and complained of headaches. The pilot stated that this situation distracted him from his other pilot duties. The engine power loss occurred about 45 minutes after this event.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 466 hours in all; 293 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 384 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,642 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 1998; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,312 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L12 Redlands CA at 5:15 pm
- Destination: MFR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from MFR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.