Incident Details
On July 1, 2022, at approximately 1340 Pacific daylight time, a Beechcraft H35 Bonanza, registration N5546D, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a wheat field near Lacrosse, Washington. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The flight was conducted as a personal operation under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot had departed from Arlington Municipal Airport (KAWO) in Arlington, Washington, after an extended preflight and ground run, with an intended destination of Port of Whitman Business Air Center Airport (S94) in Colfax, Washington. According to the pilot, the aircraft carried 50 gallons of fuel at departure.
Approximately 1.5 hours into the flight, while performing the pre-landing checklist for the approach, the engine lost all power. The pilot described the power loss as sounding like the engine had gone to idle. He subsequently switched the fuel selector from the right to the left fuel tank, applied full throttle, and increased the mixture to full rich, but the engine did not respond. Shortly thereafter, the pilot initiated a forced landing onto a wheat field. During the landing, the engine separated from the firewall, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the engine mount and truss.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to all flight surfaces. The fuel system was traced from each wing tank to the fuel selector, which rotated normally and was unobstructed. The right main, left main, right auxiliary, and left auxiliary fuel tanks were not breached and contained approximately 2, 4, 8, and 2.5 gallons of fuel, respectively. According to the manufacturer, the unusable fuel for each 20-gallon main tank is 3 gallons, and there is a total of 1 gallon of unusable fuel in both auxiliary tanks combined.
Mechanical continuity was established throughout the rotating group, valvetrain, and accessory section as the crankshaft was manually rotated at the propeller by hand. Thumb compression was achieved at all six cylinders, and the valves displayed normal lift when the crankshaft was rotated. Examination of the cylinders’ combustion chamber using a lighted borescope revealed normal piston face and valve signatures, with no indications of catastrophic engine failure.