# Accident 19980419037599A: Beech C50, Ford, VA, April 19, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 19, 1998, 17:30 local time
- Place: Ford, VA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.1493° N, 77.7356° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Ford, VA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.1493&lon=-77.7356&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3779B (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BEECH C50
- Reported engine: LYC GO480*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,635 total, 11 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980419037599A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT ATTEMPTED AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING REEPORTEDLY FROM AN ALTITUDE OF 1600 FEET. DURING THE LANDING, THE RIGHT WING TIP HIT THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN 45 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT FROM THE LINE OF TRAVEL. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED 200 FEET SIDEWAYS BREAKING THE NOSE WHEEL STRUT AND BENDING BOTH PROPS. (.19)LOST AVIONICS. USED GPS. LEFT ENGINE QUIT.  UNABLE TO LOCATE AVC. BOTH ENGINES QUIT. CRASHED. MISMANAGED FUEL.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    (.4)THE PILOT WAS FLYING AN AIRPLANE HE HAD PURCHASED 18 DAYS PRIOR, FROM FLORIDA TO HIS HOME AIRPORT IN VIRGINIA. ON ONE LEG, THE AIRPLANE'S NAVIGATIONAL AND COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT FAILED AND THE PILOT PURCHASED A HANDHELD GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) RECEIVER FOR NAVIGATION.  WHILE EN ROUTE THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE HIS PROPOSED REFUELING STOP AND AFTER 35 TO 40 MINUTES OF SEARCHING FOR THE AIRPORT, HIS GPS RECEIVER FAILED DUE TO LOW BATTERY POWER.  THE PILOT STATED, HE WAS AT 2,500 FEET AGL, WHEN THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINES SIMULTANEOUSLY LOST POWER, AND HE PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD.  EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED 30 MINUTES TO 1 HOUR OF FUEL REMAINED.  A 10 TO 15 FOOT LONG POWER CABLE WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE PROPELLER HUB OF THE LEFT ENGINE.  ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, PROPELLER GROUND STRIKES INDICATED AT LEAST ONE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE AIRPLANE WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE BY THE PILOT BEFORE IT COULD BE EXAMINED FURTHER.  THE PILOT REPORTED OVER 3,600 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, OF WHICH ABOUT 25 HOURS WERE MULTI-ENGINE AIRCRAFT AND 10 HOURS WERE IN MAKE AND MODEL.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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