Beech H35 accident near Parker, Arizona, May 22, 2014
On May 22, 2014 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1956 Beech H35, registered N4689D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Parker, Arizona (Avi Suquilla airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improperly attached fuel line and cracked fuel diaphragm due to unknown personnel’s inadequate maintenance, which resulted in the loss of engine power during cruise flight and the subsequent forced landing onto rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2014 · about 6:30 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Parker, Arizona · Avi Suquilla · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech H35 NO SERIES, built 1956 · all H35s on the register
- Registration
- N4689D · no longer on the register · serial D-4874
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and pilot-rated owner were operating the airplane in cruise flight when the engine lost power. They manipulated the engine and fuel controls in an attempt to regain engine power, but the engine would not restart. They subsequently conducted a forced landing onto rough terrain. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear folded underneath the airplane, and the right wing sustained substantial damage. The engine was test run, and it would not maintain power unless the electric boost pump was operating. During a postrun examination of the engine, the fuel return line from the engine-driven fuel pump was found loose at the pump connection, and fuel was noted dripping from the rigid fuel line near the pump connection. The line was removed, and the "B" nut ferrule was found cracked. The "B" nut and the fuel pump fitting threads were damaged. The fuel pump and fuel control assembly were found intact, and, during a test run, functioned properly. During testing of the fuel manifold valve, a leak was observed at the vent port, indicating that the diaphragm was compromised. Based on this evidence, it is likely that the improperly attached fuel return line on the fuel pump and the leak from the fuel manifold valve led to a loss of pressure in the engine fuel delivery system, which resulted in the loss of engine power. The investigation could not determine when or by whom the maintenance was performed.
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 (partial) during enroute (descent)
- Ground collision during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Incorrect service/maintenance other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Other/unknown
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,271 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 2,150 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,939 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 11, 2014; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,903 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-470 (piston); 2,796 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 15AZ Quartzsite AZ at 6:15 pm
- Destination: P20 Parker AZ
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from KEED, 42 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 17, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Airframe and Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Continental Motors Inc., Fuel System Component Test and Analysis Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N4689D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N4689D: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Beechcraft H35 224 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-470 4,724 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Avi Suquilla Airport · nearest airport
- Aero Products Heliport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,983 since 1982 · 466 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,422 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N4689D 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR14LA199.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.