# Accident 20080810844719A: Beech 95B55, Sitka, AK, August 10, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 10, 2008, 21:40 local time
- Place: Sitka, AK
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 57.6561° N, 135.3306° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=57.6561&lon=-135.3306&mi=10
- Aircraft: N98HA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N98HA-2009-08-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 95-B55 (T42A) (registry code 1152706, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-b55-t42a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 95B55
- Reported engine: CONT IO470L
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 7,150 total, 2,025 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC08FA104](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC08FA104) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080810844719A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON AUGUST 10, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 2005 AKDT, THE PILOT OF N98HA LANDED AT THE GUSTAVUS AIRPORT TO REFUEL.  AT APPROXIMATELY 2051 AKDT, N98HA DEPARTED GUSTAVUS WITH THE PILOT STATING THAT NO ONE WAS THERE, HE WAS GOING TO SITKA, AND HAD ABOUT ONE HOUR OF FUEL ON BOARD.  FOLLOWING A QUERY BY AN ARTCC SPECIALIST THE PILOT ELECTED TO PROCEEDED TO JUNEAU INSTEAD OF SITKA.  FOLLOWING CLEARANCE TO THE LDA APPROACH TO RUNWAY 08 AT JUNEAU, N98HA WAS UNABLE TO JOIN THE LOCALIZER COURSE AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO DISCONTINUE THE APPROACH AND CLIMB AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT WAS ASKED WHERE HE WOULD LIKE TO GO AND HOW MUCH FUEL HE HAD REMAINING.  THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS GOING TO SITKA AND HAD ABOUT AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND TEN MINUTES OF FUEL.  AT APPROXIMATELY 2138 AKDT, THE PILOT STATED TO THE ARTCC SPECIALIST THAT HE WAS HAVING LEFT ENGINE TROUBLE.  MOMENTS LATER, N98HA IMPACTED THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES NORTH OF SITKA, AK AFTER RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.  AMENDMENT TO FOLLOW, PER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23 AMENDMENT) N98HA WAS INBOUND TO GUSTAVUS IFR WHEN THE PILOT DESCENDED CONTRARY TO HIS ATC CLEARANCE. HE SEEMED CONFUSED OVER IFR PROCEDURES, BUT AFTER COUNSELING FROM ANCHORAGE CENTER (ZAN), HE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD INTENDED TO REFUEL AT GUSTAVUS AND CONTINUE VFR TO SKAGWAY. HE COULD NOT FIND THE SELF SERVE FUEL PUMP, SO DEPARTED GUSTAVUS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL FUEL. THE PILOT LAUNCHED INTO IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT A CLEARANCE, AND THEN CONTACTED ZAN REQUESTING A POP-UP IFR CLEARANCE STATING "I HOPE WE HAVE ENOUGH FUEL." HE ESTIMATED 1HR ENDURANCE. ZAN ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL, AND IF HE WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO GUSTAVUS, BUT THE PILOT DECLINED BECAUSE "...THE PLACE IS LOCKED, WE CAN'T GET NO PHONE, NO NOTHING". THE PILOT FIRST ATTEMPTED TO FLY AN IFR APPROACH INTO JUNEAU, BUT WAS EXTREMELY CONFUSED BY THE IFR PROCEDURE AND WAS ULTIMATELY UNABLE TO JOIN THE LOCALIZER COURSE. THE PILOT THEN CHOSE TO FLY TO SITKA, HOPING FOR AN EASIER IFR APPROACH. ZAN AGAIN QUESTIONED THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL STATUS AND THIS TIME THE PILOT ESTIMATED MORE FUEL ONBOARD, WITH 1HR 10 MINUTES. 24 MINUTES LATER, N98HA REPORTED ENGINE TROUBLE AND CRASHED 25MI NW OF SITKA DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

## 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 ANC08FA104](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC08FA104), Aug 11, 2008: Beech 95-B55 (N98HA), Sitka, AK, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: A loss of engine power in flight due to fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's inadequate fuel planning and navigation.

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.