# NTSB ATL03LA036: Beech 65, N115HF, Fitzgerald, GA, January 18, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 18, 2003, 13:07 local (18:07 UTC) - Place: Fitzgerald, GA - Coordinates: 31.68361, -83.270278 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.6836&lon=-83.2703&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 28, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Atlanta FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56381 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL03LA036 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56381/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56381 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL03LA036 ## Probable cause The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply that resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power in both engines. A factor was a tree. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - fluid,fuel - starvation (cause) - fuel management - improper, pilot in command (cause) - all engines - Forced landing, descent - emergency - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - grass - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) ## Analysis According to the pilot, the flight was uneventful until he switched fuel tanks near Macon, Georgia. Several minutes after the fuel selectors were switched the pilot reported a loss of left engine power. The pilot declared an emergency and requested radar vectors to the nearest airport. While en route to the nearest airport, the right engine lost power. The pilot selected and open field and attempted a forced landing. During the forced landing, the nose wheel assembly collapsed, and the left wing collided with a tree. Both engines were test run after the accident and they operated without any anomalies. A total of sixty gallons of fuel was recovered from the airplane during the recovery from the accident site. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane before the accident. The post-accident examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem. ## Factual narrative On January 18, 2003, at 1307 eastern standard time, a Beech 65, N115HF, registered to JAP Air LLC, and operated by a private pilot, collided with the ground during a forced landing following a dual engine loss of power near Fitzgerald, Georgia. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot and his three passengers were not injured. The instrument flight departed Lawrenceville, Georgia, on January 18, 2003 at 1200. According to the pilot, prior to departing Lawrenceville, Georgia, the airplane had been topped off with fuel. The flight was uneventful until he switched fuel tanks from the main tanks to the auxiliary tanks near Macon, Georgia. Several minutes after the fuel selectors were switched the pilot reported a loss of left engine power. The pilot then switched back to the main tanks. The pilot declared an emergency and requested radar vectors to the nearest airport. While enroute to the nearest airport, the pilot switched back to the auxiliary tanks and shortly after, the right engine lost power. The pilot selected an open field and attempted a forced landing. During the attempted landing, the nose wheel assembly collapsed and the left wing assembly collided with a tree. According to the fixed base operator, Aircraft Specialist Jet Center, at Lawrenceville, Georgia, 160 gallons of fuel was purchased for the airplane three days prior to the accident. Their refueling records showed no additional refueling on the day of the accident. According to the Operator's Manual for this airplane, after takeoff and once level cruise has been established, the fuel supply for the engines should be changed from the main tanks to the auxiliary tanks. During the post-accident examination of both engines, they started and ran without any anomalies reported. A total of sixty gallons of fuel was recovered from the airplane during the recovery from the accident site. Examination of the airplane revealed nose wheel and left wing damage. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane before the accident. The post-accident examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N115HF](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N115HF-2016-09-26), registration cancelled 2016-09-26, S/N LF-56 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech 65 - Registry model: [Beech 65 (LF-23F)](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-65-lf-23f) (registry code 1152804) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: LF56 - Engines: Lycoming IO-720A1B 400 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: James A. Pritchard - Registered owner: JAP Air LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 9, 2002, 160 hours before - Departed: LZU, Lawrenceville,, GA - Destination: VLD, Valdosta, GA - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 2,843 total, 129 in this make and model, 2,714 as pilot in command, 45 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 41 °F, dew point 14 °F - Altimeter: 30.26 inHg - Observed at: TLH, 60 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030118010759A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030118010759A), Jan 18, 2003: Beech 65, Fitzgerald, GA, Substantial damage. (-23) Re: description of the incident of N115HF on January 18th, 2003. James prichard; prior to departing on a flight from lzu to vld, I filed an IFR flight… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 6, 2006, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56381. 941 KB in all. - Chronological Summary of Flight Report (item 1, .PDF, 205 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445389&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Chronological%20Summary%20of%20Flight%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Pilot Statement (item 2, .PDF, 89 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445390&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Transcript of Phone Conversation (item 3, .PDF, 619 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445391&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Transcript%20of%20Phone%20Conversation-Redacted.PDF - Weather Data (item 4, .PDF, 28 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40445392&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Data-Redacted.PDF 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. --- 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.