Beech M35 accident near Lake Havasu City, Arizona, August 29, 2017
On August 29, 2017 at about 1:39 pm local time, a 1960 Beech M35, registered N339Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Lake Havasu City, Arizona (Lake Havasu City airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's incorrect positioning of the fuel tank selector valve during a tank switch, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the worn condition of the fuel selector valve handle position detents and markings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2017 · about 1:39 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Havasu City, Arizona · Lake Havasu City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech M35, built 1960 · all M35s on the register
- Registration
- N339Z · no longer on the register · serial D-6507
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The fuel selector was set to the left main fuel tank for takeoff and climbout. After reaching cruise altitude, he switched to the auxiliary tanks and later to the right main fuel tank. While in cruise flight, he also activated the two fuel pumps to transfer fuel from the tip tanks to the main tanks. When the airplane was about 4 miles from and 2,000 ft above the intended destination airport, the pilot switched to the left main fuel tank; the fuel-injected engine lost power, but the propeller continued to windmill. The pilot selected the landing gear down and attempted to restart the engine to no avail. The pilot determined that he would not make the runway and selected an open area as his landing target. He switched to the right main fuel tank, but the propeller continued only to windmill. The pilot then switched back to the left main tank and again could not start the engine. The airplane landed hard on flat desert terrain, which resulted in the nose landing gear collapsing and the fuselage buckling. The airplane slid upright to a stop. On-site examination of the fuel tanks revealed that they were not breached; the left main fuel tank contained about 23 gallons of fuel, the right main tank contained about 20 gallons, and the auxiliary tanks and the tip tanks did not contain any fuel. Examination of the fuel system did not reveal any obvious reason for the engine power loss. Although the left main tank fuel pickup screen was found separated from its line, the line appeared clear and functional. The ports and chambers of the fuel selector valve were clear, and the valve was functional. The fuel selector valve handle position detents were worn so that proper selection of a fuel tank by tactile method alone was difficult or impossible, and the placard was worn to the point where the position marker for the left tank was absent. The engine was removed for examination and a test run, and there was no evidence of a mechanical anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the pilot's reported sequence of events, the airplane examination, and the engine test run, it is likely that the pilot did not correctly position the fuel selector valve handle when he switched to the left tank for landing, which resulted in fuel flow interruption and power loss due to fuel starvation. The worn condition of the fuel selector valve made it susceptible to being mis-set, which would impede or terminate fuel flow to the engine. In addition, a fuel-injected engine can be more difficult and/or take longer to start after it is deprived of fuel. Due to the airplane's proximity to the ground, the pilot had limited time to troubleshoot or restart the engine.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Fuel starvation during approach defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 145 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 8, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,928 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 2017; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,952 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HMT Hemet CA at 12:45 pm
- Destination: HII Lake Havasu City AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from EED, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR17LA190.