Shellman Bluff, GA, USA
N7893R
BEECH V35A
On October 22, 2022, about 1817 eastern daylight time, a Beech V35A airplane, N7893R was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Sunbury, Georgia. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, prior to the flight he had about 35 gallons of fuel in the left wing fuel tank, and 15 to 20 gallons of fuel in the right wing fuel tank. The pilot departed Eagle Neck Airpark (1GA0), Shellman Bluff, Georgia about 1720 and flew to Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (BQK), Brunswick, Georgia, to practice instrument approaches. After completing two approaches at BQK, he flew back to 1GA0. After arriving at 1GA0 and entering the traffic pattern, he extended the left downwind leg about 10 miles north of the airport before turning on to a left base leg. The engine then suddenly lost power. The pilot then immediately switched fuel tanks with no result. At this point his airspeed was about 120 miles per hour and was at 1,500 feet above mean sea level. Having switched tanks and still with no engine power, he moved the throttle, propeller, and mixture controls full forward without result. He then “called mayday” over the radio, and had a choice between the Medway River and a marsh and chose to performed a forced landing and land on the river close to the marsh. When the airplane touched down on the water, he kept the landing gear retracted and the airplane came to a stop very quickly. After the landing, the pilot stepped out on to the wing and called 911. The airplane was in about six feet of water, and as it settled, the pilot stood on the top of the fuselage with water up to his knees and awaited rescue. About an hour later, he was rescued by the United States Coast Guard. The airplane was retained for examination by the NTSB.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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