PAWHUSKA, OK, USA
N4521S
BEECH V35B
A LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED AT 5,500 FEET WHEN THE CABIN DOOR POPPED OPEN AND THE PILOT SLID FROM THE LEFT SEAT TO THE RIGHT SEAT TO CLOSE IT. WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND POSITIONED BETWEEN TANKS, EFFECTIVELY SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE DURING THE FORCED LANDING.
FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE BEING INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED OFF AND THE PILOT'S EMERGENCY PROCEDURES INADEQUATE IN DISCOVERINGAND CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. THIS RESULTED IN THE FUEL STARVATION RELATED POWER LOSS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH TERRAIN ON WHICH THE FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED AND THE FENCE WHICH WAS CONTACTED.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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