What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Two pilots departed miami executive airport (tmb) under IFR in a Beechcraft duchess BE-76, N6015Z to lakeland linder international airport (lal). At klal, the pilots refueled both wings to the full indication and departed to hilton head island airport (hxd). The pilots arrived at hxd with the fuel gauges indicating more than half tanks, approximately 55-60 gallons of fuel. At hxd added another 20 gallons, totaling to an amount of approximately 75-80 gallons of fuel at the time of engine startup.
Pilots stated they inspected the left and right fuel tank and the fuel was up to the installed quantity tabs which indicated 40 gallons on either side. The pilots took proper amounts of fuel samples and confirmed that the fuel gauges matched the amount in the tanks required to fly the last leg to ktmb. They calculated total enroute fuel needed was 65 gallons and a reserve of 15 gallons.
The pilots stated that when the position of the aircraft located around 20NM northwest of tmb at 2000FT, that the right engine failed without a warning. They tried to restart the engine which failed to restart they proceeded to feather the propeller and aircraft configured the aircraft for single-engine operations.
Pilots stated they experienced communication trouble at about the same time and were unable to communicate their circumstances to ATC and entered code 7700 in the transponder. They eventually reestablished communication with ATC. Miami approach notified pilots that mia was the closest airport and the pilots made the decision to divert to mia.
They were unable to maintain altitude even with full power on the left engine and the right engine feathered. At about 400 to 500FT, while still 4-5 NM west of mia, the left engine also failed without warning. At that altitude, pilots were unable to attempt a restart the left engine. Pilots stated all six engine levers were full forward but were unable to gain any source of thrust, and maintained best glide speed to maximize the gliding distance. The pilots determined they would be unable to reach mia and proceeded to make a force landing on NW25TH street. Pilots stated they were having difficulty controlling the airplane, the left-wing impacted a truck on the road and the aircraft crashed on the street.
Pilots stated aircraft engine instruments never showed any abnormalities that will cause an imminent engine failure. The fuel gauges did not show any indication that the aircraft was low on fuel throughout the flight. At the time of the right engine failure, the right fuel quantity gauge showed an amount just below ¼ tank, or roughly 9 gallons, while the left fuel gauge displayed about ¼ tank, or approximately 11 gallons.
As the FAA filed it
TWO PILOTS DEPARTED MIAMI EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (TMB) UNDER IFR IN A BEECHCRAFT DUCHESS BE-76, N6015Z TO LAKELAND LINDER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LAL). AT KLAL, THE PILOTS REFUELED BOTH WINGS TO THE FULL INDICATION AND DEPARTED TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT (HXD). THE PILOTS ARRIVED AT HXD WITH THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATING MORE THAN HALF TANKS, APPROXIMATELY 55-60 GALLONS OF FUEL. AT HXD ADDED ANOTHER 20 GALLONS, TOTALING TO AN AMOUNT OF APPROXIMATELY 75-80 GALLONS OF FUEL AT THE TIME OF ENGINE STARTUP.
PILOTS STATED THEY INSPECTED THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANK AND THE FUEL WAS UP TO THE INSTALLED QUANTITY TABS WHICH INDICATED 40 GALLONS ON EITHER SIDE. THE PILOTS TOOK PROPER AMOUNTS OF FUEL SAMPLES AND CONFIRMED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES MATCHED THE AMOUNT IN THE TANKS REQUIRED TO FLY THE LAST LEG TO KTMB. THEY CALCULATED TOTAL ENROUTE FUEL NEEDED WAS 65 GALLONS AND A RESERVE OF 15 GALLONS.
THE PILOTS STATED THAT WHEN THE POSITION OF THE AIRCRAFT LOCATED AROUND 20NM NORTHWEST OF TMB AT 2000FT, THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT A WARNING. THEY TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WHICH FAILED TO RESTART THEY PROCEEDED TO FEATHER THE PROPELLER AND AIRCRAFT CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR SINGLE-ENGINE OPERATIONS.
PILOTS STATED THEY EXPERIENCED COMMUNICATION TROUBLE AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND WERE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES TO ATC AND ENTERED CODE 7700 IN THE TRANSPONDER. THEY EVENTUALLY REESTABLISHED COMMUNICATION WITH ATC. MIAMI APPROACH NOTIFIED PILOTS THAT MIA WAS THE CLOSEST AIRPORT AND THE PILOTS MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO MIA.
THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE EVEN WITH FULL POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE AND THE RIGHT ENGINE FEATHERED. AT ABOUT 400 TO 500FT, WHILE STILL 4-5 NM WEST OF MIA, THE LEFT ENGINE ALSO FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. AT THAT ALTITUDE, PILOTS WERE UNABLE TO ATTEMPT A RESTART THE LEFT ENGINE. PILOTS STATED ALL SIX ENGINE LEVERS WERE FULL FORWARD BUT WERE UNABLE TO GAIN ANY SOURCE OF THRUST, AND MAINTAINED BEST GLIDE SPEED TO MAXIMIZE THE GLIDING DISTANCE. THE PILOTS DETERMINED THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO REACH MIA AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE A FORCE LANDING ON NW25TH STREET. PILOTS STATED THEY WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE AIRPLANE, THE LEFT-WING IMPACTED A TRUCK ON THE ROAD AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE STREET.
PILOTS STATED AIRCRAFT ENGINE INSTRUMENTS NEVER SHOWED ANY ABNORMALITIES THAT WILL CAUSE AN IMMINENT ENGINE FAILURE. THE FUEL GAUGES DID NOT SHOW ANY INDICATION THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOW ON FUEL THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT. AT THE TIME OF THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILURE, THE RIGHT FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE SHOWED AN AMOUNT JUST BELOW ¼ TANK, OR ROUGHLY 9 GALLONS, WHILE THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED ABOUT ¼ TANK, OR APPROXIMATELY 11 GALLONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6015Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.