What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 26, 2024, about 1859 eastern standard time, a Beech 76, Beechcraft duchess was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a flea market parking lot near Melbourne, Florida. The multi engine rated flight instructor pilot monitoring (pm) and a commercial multi engine rated pilot flying (pf) sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was conducted under part 91 visual flight rules.
The flight originated at (uza) rock hill york county airport, south carolina about 1555 and was destined for (mlb) Melbourne Orlando International Airport, Florida. The pilots reported that they departed uza with both fuel tanks filled to the 30 gallon tap indicator. Approximately halfway into the flight the pf reported the right fuel tank gauge was being erratic with indications of full to empty which continued back and forth with no effect on the engine performance. The flight continued uneventful until approximately 5-8NM northwest of mlb. When approaching lake Washington and descending towards 2500 feet the right engine began to have erratic rpms. The right engine was then shutdown and the propeller feathered. The pm then contacted mlb tower and stated that they were having fuel issues and simultaneously, the left engine began to have erratic RPM changes. The pm declared an emergency. The pf was able to get the left engine back running for a short period but then shut it down and feathered the propeller.
At about 1859 eastern standard time the aircraft struck high tension power lines in attempt to land in a flea market parking lot. The right wing and fuel tank was torn open from a power line. The left wing was broken off outside the left engine and laid approximately 50 feet from the airframe. The aircraft came to rest in the parking lot in an upright position with the landing gear extended. Both pilots were able to exit the aircraft with minor injuries. First responders extinguished a small fire in the vicinity of the left wing.
FAA inspectors arrived on scene the following morning and reported that there was no fuel leaking from either tank no fuel stains were observed on the asphalt near the airplane. The sumps were drained; 1 cup of fuel was recovered from the right-side sump and no fuel was recovered from the left side sump. No mechanical anomalies were discovered during the investigation
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 26, 2024, ABOUT 1859 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 76, BEECHCRAFT DUCHESS WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING IN A FLEA MARKET PARKING LOT NEAR MELBOURNE, FLORIDA. THE MULTI ENGINE RATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PILOT MONITORING (PM) AND A COMMERCIAL MULTI ENGINE RATED PILOT FLYING (PF) SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. NIGHT, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER PART 91 VISUAL FLIGHT RULES.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT (UZA) ROCK HILL YORK COUNTY AIRPORT, SOUTH CAROLINA ABOUT 1555 AND WAS DESTINED FOR (MLB) MELBOURNE ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLORIDA. THE PILOTS REPORTED THAT THEY DEPARTED UZA WITH BOTH FUEL TANKS FILLED TO THE 30 GALLON TAP INDICATOR. APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY INTO THE FLIGHT THE PF REPORTED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK GAUGE WAS BEING ERRATIC WITH INDICATIONS OF FULL TO EMPTY WHICH CONTINUED BACK AND FORTH WITH NO EFFECT ON THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED UNEVENTFUL UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 5-8NM NORTHWEST OF MLB. WHEN APPROACHING LAKE WASHINGTON AND DESCENDING TOWARDS 2500 FEET THE RIGHT ENGINE BEGAN TO HAVE ERRATIC RPMS. THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS THEN SHUTDOWN AND THE PROPELLER FEATHERED. THE PM THEN CONTACTED MLB TOWER AND STATED THAT THEY WERE HAVING FUEL ISSUES AND SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO HAVE ERRATIC RPM CHANGES. THE PM DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE PF WAS ABLE TO GET THE LEFT ENGINE BACK RUNNING FOR A SHORT PERIOD BUT THEN SHUT IT DOWN AND FEATHERED THE PROPELLER.
AT ABOUT 1859 EASTERN STANDARD TIME THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK HIGH TENSION POWER LINES IN ATTEMPT TO LAND IN A FLEA MARKET PARKING LOT. THE RIGHT WING AND FUEL TANK WAS TORN OPEN FROM A POWER LINE. THE LEFT WING WAS BROKEN OFF OUTSIDE THE LEFT ENGINE AND LAID APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE PARKING LOT IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. BOTH PILOTS WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INJURIES. FIRST RESPONDERS EXTINGUISHED A SMALL FIRE IN THE VICINITY OF THE LEFT WING.
FAA INSPECTORS ARRIVED ON SCENE THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL LEAKING FROM EITHER TANK NO FUEL STAINS WERE OBSERVED ON THE ASPHALT NEAR THE AIRPLANE. THE SUMPS WERE DRAINED; 1 CUP OF FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE RIGHT-SIDE SUMP AND NO FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT SIDE SUMP. NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE INVESTIGATION
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.