- Date
- July 28, 1992, 20:13 local (Jul 29, 1992, 04:13 UTC)
- Place
- Delta Junction, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7041MBeech 55-95B55B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920728027919A
- Case key
- 5762
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Fuel starvation of both engines and the pilot's improper inflight planning/decision by not getting more fuel or cancelling the flight. Contributing factors to the accident was the pilot not following procedures/directives (the airplane flight manual) when he operated the engines from the auxiliary fuel tanks while in a descent, and then failed to use the fuel boost pumps when attempting to restart the engines.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During preflight refueling, the fuel system stopped pumping fuel, so the pilot did not get as much fuel as he had intended before beginning the local sightseeing flight. The pilot intentionally operated the engines from the auxiliary fuel tanks, while in a descent, until they were empty, at which time both engines quit simultaneously at approximately 5,000 feet. He was unable to restart the engines, and subsequently made a forced landing in a wooded area. The pilot said that his instructor had implied that running the auxiliary tanks dry was a safe procedure. He also said that he had not turned on the fuel boost pumps while trying to restart the engines, as specified in an addendum to the AFM. He said he was not aware of that addendum until after the accident. At the time of the accident a total of approximately 28 gallons of fuel remained in the main fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7041M
- Reported as
- Beech 55-95B55B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TF-30
- Airframe hours
- 11,890
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-L(9), 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Eielson Afb Aero Club
- Registered owner
- U. S. Air Force
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 25, 1992 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- EIL · Eielson Afb, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Certificates
- Commercial, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 892 total · 18 in this make and model · 324 as pilot in command · 84 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIG, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.