Accident Overview
On October 23, 2025, at about 1713 central daylight time, a Beech 35-33 airplane, registration N864R, was substantially damaged when it experienced a total loss of engine power during initial climb and impacted terrain and an unoccupied skid-steer bucket loader on airport property near Flippin, Arkansas. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that two days before the accident, he flew the airplane from Dodge City Regional Airport (DDC) to Marion County Regional Airport (FLP) in Flippin. After landing, he refueled using the airport's self-service pump, leaving about 63 gallons onboard. The airplane was tied down under a fabric cover while he went fly fishing.
Returning two days later for the intended flight back to DDC, he uncovered the airplane, performed a preflight inspection, started the engine, and taxied to runway 4 for a runup. During takeoff, engine parameters were normal. Rotation and liftoff occurred about 1,000 ft down the runway at 68 knots. After liftoff, he established a positive climb, retracted the gear, and reduced engine speed to 2,500 rpm. About midfield, he entered a climbing right turn, and when leveling wings at about 150 ft above ground level, the engine lost all power.
The pilot then reduced pitch and entered a left descending turn to land on the opposite runway direction, but the airplane did not have sufficient altitude to reach the runway and impacted the ground and the bucket loader. The pilot does not recall repositioning the fuel selector to off after the accident and suggested that a responding friend might have turned it.
Witness Accounts
Two friends witnessed the accident. One reported hearing the engine backfire shortly after takeoff followed by a loss of power. The airplane entered a descending left turn and crashed on airport property. They immediately responded. One witness called 911 while en route, and the other, upon arrival, looked for a fire extinguisher and fuel controls. He found the pilot seated in the left seat, bleeding from a chin laceration, with legs wedged under the instrument panel. He stopped moving the pilot after the pilot complained of back pain. They waited with the pilot until emergency personnel arrived.
Postaccident Examination
A review of data from the airplane's primary flight display showed normal engine operation until a sudden fuel flow drop during initial climb. About 31 seconds after takeoff power selection, fuel flow decreased from 23.8 gph to 1.1 gph over 10 seconds, then to 0.3 gph over the final 10 seconds.
Emergency personnel found the fuel selector valve in the off position after the pilot was removed. The left cockpit seat position would have prevented the pilot's leg/foot from accessing the selector. Recovery personnel noted the fuel selector assembly was obscured by the left seat; after repositioning, the handle was off.
A postaccident examination of the fuel system found no blockages between tanks and engine. Several fuel line separations were consistent with impact damage, but residual fuel was present in intact lines; no evidence of a preexisting leak. The fuel selector valve tested normally with compressed air. The fuel strainer contained residual uncontaminated fuel. The auxiliary fuel pump switch was off but the pump functioned when powered. The engine-driven pump drive coupling was intact and shaft rotated smoothly. No mechanical issues were found with the fuel metering device. All fuel finger screens were free of contamination. The fuel flow transducer and manifold valve tested without obstructions. The wreckage was retained for further examination.