- Date
- September 9, 1994, 17:25 local (21:25 UTC)
- Place
- Mt Pleasant, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N666SBeech D18S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940909032239A
- Case key
- 9678
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 improper fuel selector position by the pilot-in-command which resulted in fuel starvation. A factor was rough/uneven terrain.
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
While in cruise flight the airplane sustained a loss of power on both engines. The pilot-in-command stated he attempted to regain power, but was unable to do so and therefore conducted a forced landing in a field. After the accident he found that he had selected the fuel selector in the wrong position and that the airplane had suffered fuel starvation.
Factual narrative
On September 9, 1994, at 1725 eastern daylight time, a Beech D18S, N666S, registered to Gateway Air Service of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and piloted by a commercial pilot, experienced a loss of engine power. During the forced landing near Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, the airplane sustained substantial damage. Both the pilot and second pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 repositioning flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight originated from Waterloo, Iowa, at 1500.
The pilot-in-command stated that while in cruise flight the airplane sustained a loss of power on both engines. After attempts to reestablish power failed, a forced landing in a rock strewn field resulted in the collapse of the main landing gear and substantial damage to the airplane.
The pilot-in-command said that after the accident he found that he had selected the fuel selector in the wrong position and the airplane suffered fuel "starvation."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N666S
- Reported as
- Beech D18S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- A-176
- Airframe hours
- 8,868
- Engine
- P&W R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gateway Air Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 8, 1994 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- ALO · Waterloo, IA
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 5,700 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MBS, 28 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.