Beech H35 N5469D accident near Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania

Probable cause

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's mismanagement of available fuel.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, he took off with 10 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot operating handbook stated that 10 gallons of fuel in each tank was required. Enroute, the engine lost power, and the pilot performed a forced landing in a residential area about 1,500 feet from an airport runway. An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel selector was on the right tank, and that there was no fuel in either tank, although any remaining fuel from the left tank could have leaked out when the wing separated from the fuselage. The fuel feed system on the airplane provided, depending on power settings, 6 to 25 gallons per hour of fuel return to the left tank, and the airplane flew 20 to 25 minutes. Although the loss of engine power occurred at a relatively low altitude, there was no evidence that the pilot attempted to utilize the fuel remaining in the left tank either before or after the event.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA09LA512 for the full record.