# Accident 19990903025379A: Beech B90, West Palm Beach, FL, September 3, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 3, 1999, 03:25 local time - Place: West Palm Beach, FL - Airport: Palm Beach International - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Missed Approach IFR - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 26.6604° N, 80.0905° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.6604&lon=-80.0905&mi=10 - Aircraft: N338AS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N338AS-2017-05-23) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech B90 (registry code 1152912, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-b90) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH B90 - Reported engine: PWA PT6A20 - People aboard: 8 - Fatal injuries: 8 - Pilot flight hours: 11,562 total, 200 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99FA245](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99FA245) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990903025379A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1999, ABOUT 0325 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH B-90, N338AS, REGISTERED TO CP HORIZONS CORPORATION, STRUCK A BUILDING AND CRASHED WHILE ON APPROACH TO PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 CORPORATE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED, AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANYONE ON THE GROUND. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT-RATED PILOT-IN-COMMAND, AND SEVEN PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED AT 2332 FROM PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, EN ROUTE TO BOCA RATON, FLORIDA. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT PLAN, THE PILOT FILED FOR A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 15,000 FEET, WITH A TIME EN ROUTE OF 5 HOURS, AND FUEL ON BOARD 6 HOURS. THE LAST KNOWN REFUELING WAS AT PONTIAC, WITH 282 GALLONS OF JET A FUEL. THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL 0314, WHEN THE PILOT OF N338AS MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE PALM BEACH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) TOWER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO WEATHER INFORMATION FOR BOCA RATON. THE FLIGHT WAS AT 6,000 FEET MSL. AT 0323, THE PILOT RADIOED, "...WE'D LIKE TO LAND AT PALM BEECH INTERNATIONAL IF WE CAN." THE FLIGHT W AS CLEARED TO 1,500 FEET, THE PILOT WAS TOLD THAT THE AIRPORT WAS AT HIS 10 TO 11 O'CLOCK POSITION, AT 5 MILES, AND WAS ASKED IF HE HAD THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT. HE ANSWERED "AFFIRMATIVE," WAS CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 13, TOLD THAT THE WINDS WERE CALM, AND WAS CLEARED TO LAND. AT 0325:27, A RADIO TRANSMISSION CAME FROM THE FLIGHT, "...ALPHA SIERRA, WE NEED, AH, WE GOT MAYDAY, A/SIERRA...MAYDAY." AT 0325.40, A SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HELICOPTER REPORTED TO THE CONTROL TOWER THAT THEY HAD SITED THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE, AND REQUESTED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BE SENT. WITNESSES THAT SAW THE AIRPLANE JUST BEFORE IMPACT SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LOW, AND THEY DID NOT SEE ANY FIRE WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS IN-FLIGHT. (.4) AT 0314, THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) TOWER THAT HE WANTED TO DIVERT FROM HIS DESTINATION TO LAND AT A CLOSER AIRPORT, AND WAS CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APPROACH. AT 0325, THE PILOT ISSUED A "MAYDAY." ON FINAL APPROACH THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A BUILDING AND WIRES ABOUT 1/2 MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. WITNESSES THAT SAW THE AIRPLANE JUST BEFORE IMPACT SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LOW, THERE WAS NO IN-FLIGHT FIRE, AND THE ENGINE SOUN DS "...APPEARED TO BE A FLUTTERING SOUND AS IF AIR [WAS] PASSING THROUGH THE PROPELLER." THE PILOT HAD FILED FOR A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 15,000 FEET, WITH A TIME EN ROUTE OF 5 HOURS, AND FUEL ON BOARD 6 HOURS. WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATIONS SHOWED THAT THE PILOT WAS OPERATING ABOUT 722 POUNDS ABOVE THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT FOR THE TAKEOFF, CLIMB, AND MAXIMUM CRUISE POWER SETTINGS. THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK CALCULATIONS SHOWED THAT MOST OF THE FUEL WOULD HAVE BEEN USED DURING THE FLIGHT. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER EXAMINATIONS REVEALED THAT BOTH ENGINES WERE NOT PRODUCING POWER AT IMPACT (WINDMILLING). THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES FOUND WITH THE ENGINES OR PROPELLERS. EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLERS REVEALED THAT THEY WERE NOT IN THE FEATHER POSITION AND THEY WERE NOT IN BETA/REVERSE POSITION. LINE PERSONNEL AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT CONFIRMED THAT ALL THE TANKS WERE TOPPED OFF (282 GALLONS ADDED). IT TOOK THE FLIGHT 32 MINUTES TO REACH A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 15,000 FEET, WHICH CALCULATED TO ABOUT 293.3 POUNDS (1 GALLON OF JET "A" EQUALS 6.7 POUNDS), AND A FLIGHT TIME OF 4.9 HOURS FROM TAKEOFF TO IMPACT. SAMPLE CALCULATIONS INDICATED THAT THE FUEL BURN RATE WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO USE 2,649.3 POUNDS OF JET "A" TURBINE FUEL DURING THE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WITH ALL TANKS FULL 384 GALLONS USABLE (2,572.8 POUNDS), WHICH CALCULATES TO INSUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE FLIGHT. TWO GALLONS OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT NACELLE TANK AT THE CRASH SITE, AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF IN-FLIGHT LEAKAGE. THE SAMPLE CALCULATIONS DO NOT CONSIDER PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION FOR OPERATING THE AIRPLANE ABOVE THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT, WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE FUEL CONSUMPTION TO GO UP BECAUSE MORE POWER WAS REQUIRED FOR THE OVER WEIGHT CONDITIONS. THE PILOT'S FLIGHT PLAN WAS FOR ECONOMY CRUISE, PLUS THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER GROSS WEIGHT AT TAKEOFF, AND THERE ARE NO PERFORMANCE CHARTS FOR THAT CONDITION. SO, THE PERFORMANCE WAS EVEN POORER THAN SHOWN ON THE MAXIMUM POWER CHART FOR CLIMB AND CRUISE. CALCULATIONS OF THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE FUEL THAT COULD BE ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THAT ONLY 1851 POUNDS OF TURBINE FUEL COULD BE CARRIED TO START THE FLIGHT AT THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WEIGHT, OR ABOUT 3.2 HOURS OF FLIGHT. THE EN ROUTE WINDS ALOFT AT THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE INDICATED A SLIGHT TAILWIND FOR HALF THE FLIGHT AND A HEADWIND OF ABOUT 15 KNOTS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLIGHT. (-23)SEE ATTACHED FSDO-17 FORM OR-1 (NO ATTACHMENT) ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA99FA245](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99FA245), Sep 3, 1999: Beech B-90 (N338AS), West Palm Beach, FL, destroyed, 8 fatal. Probable cause: a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors in this accident were the pilot's operation of the airplane in an overweight condition, inadequate pre-flight and in-flight… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.