History of Flight
On August 29, 2017, about 0639 mountain standard time, a Beech M35 airplane, N339Z, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Lake Havasu City Airport (HII), Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The private pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight. The flight originated from Hemet-Ryan Airport (HMT), Hemet, California, at an unknown time and was destined for HII.
The pilot reported that he regularly makes the trip between HMT and HII. He did not recall his exact departure fuel quantity. After takeoff, he operated on the left main fuel tank during climb. Upon reaching cruise altitude of 7,500 ft, he switched to auxiliary tanks and later to the right main tank. During cruise, he activated pumps to transfer fuel from tip tanks to main tanks. About 30 miles from HII, he began his letdown. When the airport was in sight, approximately 4 miles out at 2,000 ft above airport elevation, he switched the fuel selector to the left main tank, as was his habit. The engine then stopped producing power but continued to windmill. The pilot selected landing gear down, advanced mixture and propeller controls, verified ignition was set to BOTH, and turned on the fuel boost pump. The engine did not restart despite pressing the start button.
The pilot determined the airplane would not reach the runway and selected an open desert area for landing. He switched to the right main fuel tank, then back to the left main, but the engine only continued to windmill. On short final, he recognized a gully perpendicular to his path and pulled up to overfly it, aware the airplane might stall. The airplane cleared the gully and touched down hard on the nose landing gear, which collapsed. The airplane slid upright and stopped. The pilot shut down and exited without assistance.
First responders arrived shortly after. The airplane was recovered later that day. Recovery personnel reported no fuel tanks were breached; the aircraft contained about 43 gallons of fuel in the two main tanks. The airplane was retained for detailed examination.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. He reported about 400 hours total flight experience, including approximately 145 hours in the accident airplane make and model. He had completed Bonanza Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP) training. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in July 2016, and his most recent flight review was in February 2017.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1960 and equipped with a Continental Motors IO-470 series engine. The pilot purchased it in September 2016. The engine was factory-rebuilt in August 1995 and installed at a tachometer time of about 827 hours. The most recent annual inspection was in June 2017, when the tachometer read about 1,633 hours.
The fuel system consisted of six tanks: main, auxiliary, and tip tanks in each wing. Main tanks were bladder tanks with 25-gallon capacity (22 usable). Each main tank contained an internal header tank with a fuel pickup line and a one-way flapper valve. Auxiliary tanks were 10-gallon bladders (9.5 usable), placarded for level flight use only. Tip tanks were non-OEM modifications, with transfer pumps for level flight. Fuel lines from main tanks went directly to the fuel selector valve; aux tanks shared a line. Tip tanks were not connected to the selector. The fuel selector valve had four positions: Right main (4 o'clock), Auxiliary (6 o'clock), Left main (8 o'clock), and Off (10 o'clock).
The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) specified in the Before Landing checklist to set the fuel selector to the "more nearly full" main tank. It did not address altitude considerations. The landing gear could be extended regardless of engine power.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest upright on flat desert terrain about 1 mile south-southwest of the HII runway 32 threshold. No fuel tanks were breached. Post-accident, the left main tank contained 23 gallons, the right main tank 20 gallons, and the other four tanks were empty. All fuel caps were installed.
Examination after recovery revealed the left main tank bladder was slightly brittle. The header tank flapper valve functioned, but the foam inside was deformed; the lower layer was folded over the finger screen area. The finger screen was detached (broken solder joints) and trapped in the deformed foam. The fuel inlet line was not obstructed. The right main tank bladder appeared newer; its header tank had no foam, and the pickup screen was intact.
The fuel selector placard was worn, with the left tank position marker missing. Detents were less positive, and the handle could rotate continuously. The internal limit mechanism had failed, but valve functionality was unaffected. The engine-driven fuel pump (EDP) connection had Teflon tape on the male fitting, which is prohibited per FAA AC43-13-1B. Functional tests with low-pressure air showed all fuel lines clear and the selector working in all positions.
The electric fuel boost pump was tested with 12 VDC and operated normally, ejecting fuel.
Engine Examination and Test
The engine appeared intact; all cylinders were undamaged. Spark plugs showed normal wear. Borescope examination revealed normal combustion signatures. Manual crankshaft rotation established continuity; all cylinders had compression and suction. Magnetos sparked normally. The EDP and fuel lines were secure. The propeller blades showed impact damage: one with aft bending and chordwise scratches, the other with minor aft bending and tip scratches.
The engine was removed and shipped to Continental Motors for a test run. Both magnetos were timed 1° earlier than specified. The engine started normally on the first attempt and performed without hesitation at various RPM settings, including rapid throttle advances. It demonstrated the ability to produce rated horsepower.
The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) notes that running a tank dry can introduce air into the fuel system, potentially causing vapor lock in fuel-injected engines, making restart difficult.