Beech 35 accident near Gresham, Oregon, September 24, 2019
On September 24, 2019, a 1951 Beech 35, registered N5277C, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Gresham, Oregon. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the instructor’s inadequate in-flight fuel management.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2019
- Place
- Gresham, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 B35, built 1951 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N5277C · no longer on the register · serial D-2671
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before departing on an approximate 1 hour and 20-minute instructional flight, the instructor and student idled on the airplane on the ground for about 30 minutes. While conducting maneuvers, the engine “audibly slowed down drastically” and the propeller and throttle controls did not respond to pilot inputs. The instructor performed a forced landing to a field, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right main fuel tank was intact and void of fuel. The left main fuel tank was full. The fuel selector was found in the right main tank position and the selector valve operated normally after the accident. Based on the available information, it is likely that the entirety of the flight was conducted with the right main fuel tank selected, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total 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
- Fuel starvation during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,115.6 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 244 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 917 as pilot in command; 595 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 10, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,164 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2019
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8-20 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPB Scappoose OR at 11:34 pm
- Destination: SPB Scappoose OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on May 5, 2022. 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 | Student Pilot/owner Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | CFI Response to Questions | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Email | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | POH Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | N5277C Flightaware Track | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Individual Who Jump Started Airplane | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Refueler Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.