- Date
- August 30, 1990, 10:58 local (15:58 UTC)
- Place
- St Paul, MN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8871MBeech A23A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900830037479A
- Case key
- 14551
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, due to an inadequate supply of fuel, and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
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
About 1.5 hrs after takeoff, the plt rprtd a loss of eng power. When asked about her position, the plt rprtd that she was 'over the river.' A witness saw the acft at an estimated 500 to 800 ft AGL. He said the acft's nose rose to a high angle, then the right wing dropped & the acft went into a spin & dove into the Mississippi river. No preimpact mechanical failure was found. On the previous flt, the acft had been flown about 1.4 hrs, using fuel from the right fuel tank. There was no record of the acft having been refueled after that flt. During a post-acdnt exam of the acft, the fuel boost pump was found in the 'on' position, both fuel gages were indicating empty & the fuel selector was fnd positioned to the right tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8871M
- Reported as
- Beech A23A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-614
- Airframe hours
- 2,454
- Engine
- Continental IO-346-A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Black Sheep Flying Club
- Registered owner
- Paul Dotty
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1990 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- STP · St Paul, MN
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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 70 total · 6 in this make and model · 23 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8871M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.