Attempted To Troubleshoot The Reduced RPM

On December 27, 2020, at 1812 Pacific standard time, a Beech 35 airplane, N5474D, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Santa Ynez, California. The pilot and three passengers sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot estimated that he departed with about 32 gallons of useable fuel. While en route to Lompoc, California, the pilot altered his course slightly to avoid inclement weather. The airplane passed one mile north of the Santa Ynez airport and when about 17 miles from Lompoc the pilot switched the fuel selector from the right main tank (which was indicating close to empty) to the