Narrative:

I made a forced landing on I-35 north of ankeny, ia. The cause could be contributed to a diaphragm rupture in the pressure carburetor on my beech 35 bonanza. However, the forced landing could have been avoided. I had flown the bonanza 10 hours since I took possession of the plane. I read the operating instructions on fuel management, but remembered the instructions backwards. I had been flying on the right tank first always, not the left. There were no placards around the fuel system to tell me to use the left tank first. I had talked with 2 bonanza pilots asking about possible bonanza 'quirks.' the fuel management requirement was not mentioned. 1 hour, 30 mins of fuel left the tank in 35 mins, emptying the tank. As I pulled the power back, nearing the airport, the engine sputtered and died. I switched to the left tank. After 10 seconds fuel pressure and engine power were not restored. I then started pumping with the piston pump, but could not pump up pressure, although the engine sputtered, it did not make power. I could not pump up normal pressure on the ground afterward, either, even though fuel gushed out of the carburetor. However, I believe that if I went by the gas gauges besides flying time per tank, I would have noticed my rapid use of fuel, and switched tanks before the right tank went dry and cavitation occurred. Also, I should have correctly remembered left tank first. The fuel return is not to the right tank, as I remembered, but to the left one. Also, when I next buy a plane, I will find out what placards are to be put in that plane and make sure they are there before I fly it. I landed safely. No damage occurred to the plane or anything else.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 PLT MAKES EMER LNDG DUE TO A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE FUEL SYS WHEN A DIAPHRAGM IN THE PRESSURE CARBURETOR RUPTURES. ACFT EQUIP PROB CARBURETOR DIAPHRAGM.

Narrative: I MADE A FORCED LNDG ON I-35 N OF ANKENY, IA. THE CAUSE COULD BE CONTRIBUTED TO A DIAPHRAGM RUPTURE IN THE PRESSURE CARBURETOR ON MY BEECH 35 BONANZA. HOWEVER, THE FORCED LNDG COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I HAD FLOWN THE BONANZA 10 HRS SINCE I TOOK POSSESSION OF THE PLANE. I READ THE OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ON FUEL MGMNT, BUT REMEMBERED THE INSTRUCTIONS BACKWARDS. I HAD BEEN FLYING ON THE R TANK FIRST ALWAYS, NOT THE L. THERE WERE NO PLACARDS AROUND THE FUEL SYS TO TELL ME TO USE THE L TANK FIRST. I HAD TALKED WITH 2 BONANZA PLTS ASKING ABOUT POSSIBLE BONANZA 'QUIRKS.' THE FUEL MGMNT REQUIREMENT WAS NOT MENTIONED. 1 HR, 30 MINS OF FUEL LEFT THE TANK IN 35 MINS, EMPTYING THE TANK. AS I PULLED THE PWR BACK, NEARING THE ARPT, THE ENG SPUTTERED AND DIED. I SWITCHED TO THE L TANK. AFTER 10 SECONDS FUEL PRESSURE AND ENG PWR WERE NOT RESTORED. I THEN STARTED PUMPING WITH THE PISTON PUMP, BUT COULD NOT PUMP UP PRESSURE, ALTHOUGH THE ENG SPUTTERED, IT DID NOT MAKE PWR. I COULD NOT PUMP UP NORMAL PRESSURE ON THE GND AFTERWARD, EITHER, EVEN THOUGH FUEL GUSHED OUT OF THE CARBURETOR. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT IF I WENT BY THE GAS GAUGES BESIDES FLYING TIME PER TANK, I WOULD HAVE NOTICED MY RAPID USE OF FUEL, AND SWITCHED TANKS BEFORE THE R TANK WENT DRY AND CAVITATION OCCURRED. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE CORRECTLY REMEMBERED L TANK FIRST. THE FUEL RETURN IS NOT TO THE R TANK, AS I REMEMBERED, BUT TO THE L ONE. ALSO, WHEN I NEXT BUY A PLANE, I WILL FIND OUT WHAT PLACARDS ARE TO BE PUT IN THAT PLANE AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE THERE BEFORE I FLY IT. I LANDED SAFELY. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE PLANE OR ANYTHING ELSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.