A decade or two ago an accident like this would have fallen into the 'for unknown reasons' category. [Credit: Leonardo Correa Luna]
Key Takeaways:
A 2023 M35 Bonanza crash, which killed the pilot, was determined by NTSB data recorders to be caused by critical fuel system mismanagement.
The accident stemmed from the pilot selecting auxiliary fuel tanks when the main return tank was nearly full, leading to rapid depletion and venting of fuel, resulting in engine starvation.
The incident highlights the critical importance for pilots to thoroughly understand an aircraft's specific fuel system complexities and quirks, particularly when operating an unfamiliar model or configuration.
On a Friday evening early in January 2023, an Arkansas pilot died in the crash of his M35 Bonanza.
The airplane, manufactured in 1960, had been updated with, among other things, a couple of flight data recorders. Their memory cards survived the crash and allowed National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators to trace in minute detail the events that led to it.
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Peter Garrison taught himself to use a slide rule and tin snips, built an airplane in his backyard, and flew it to Japan. He began contributing to FLYING in 1968, and he continues to share his columns, ""Technicalities"" and ""Aftermath,"" with FLYING readers.
