Beech A35 accident near Blue Diamond, Nevada, October 8, 2010
On October 8, 2010 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Beech A35, registered N8402A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Blue Diamond, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 2010 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Blue Diamond, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A35 · all A35s on the register
- Registration
- N8402A · no longer on the register · serial D-1814
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, during a cross-country flight, she flew the airplane about 1.5 hours with the right fuel tank selected. When the engine lost power, she stated that she switched the fuel selector to the left and auxiliary fuel tank positions during her attempts to restart the engine, but the engine would not restart. The pilot subsequently made a forced landing on a highway, and the airplane struck a dirt embankment during the landing roll. The airplane veered to the right, and the landing gear collapsed. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. None of the fuel tanks were damaged. The right fuel tank was empty and the left tank was almost completely full (it could not be determined whether there was fuel in the auxiliary tank). After the accident, the fuel selector was found selected to the right tank position. Examination of the fuel selector confirmed that the selector switch operated normally; however, the “fuel selector not engaged” light was not functioning. The pilot should have switched tanks earlier in the flight and did not properly manage the airplane’s fuel consumption. Although the fuel selector was found in the right tank position, it could not be determined whether the pilot placed the selector in that position or if the fuel selector was not engaged when she moved it to the left and auxiliary fuel positions. Under either circumstance, the engine was starved of fuel, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Fuel starvation during enroute (descent) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 173 hours in all; 173 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 2, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor E225 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSP Palm Springs CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: North Las Vegas
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from LAS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.