- Date
- May 28, 1990, 20:45 local (May 29, 1990, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Detroit, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8390NBeech B-55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900528023879A
- Case key
- 14677
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
The pilot in command's execution of a turn shortly after takeoff resulting in loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and the pilot in command's execution of a turn back to the airport resulting in fuel starvation of the second engine which resulted in a forced landing.
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 the takeoff climb, pilot was in right turn at 100 feet AGL and 140 mph when power was lost in the left engine. Pilot attempted to make a turn to the left to return to the field and lost power in the right engine. Investigation revealed tanks in each wing were approximately one-half full. No fuel was found in either engine from engine driven fuel pump to flow divider. Turning takeoffs are a prohibited maneuver in this aircraft due to the unbaffled tank configuration.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8390N
- Reported as
- Beech B-55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-1091
- Airframe hours
- 9,256
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-L, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Elite Leasing Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1990 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- DET
- Destination
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Airport
- DET · Detroit City, runway 33, 5,040 × 100 ft
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,403 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,247 as pilot in command · 99 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DET
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.