GAA17CA058

NTSB accident investigation · Beech 58TC · Valdosta, GA · November 5, 2016

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
November 5, 2016, 16:43 local (20:43 UTC)
Place
Valdosta, GA
Injuries
3 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N2CHBeech 58TC
Defining event
Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 7, 2017
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20161105018039A
Case key
94347

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’s failure to ensure that adequate fuel was onboard for the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.

Findings · 3

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Planning/preparation: fuel planningPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotBeech 58TC: 1 caseAll aircraft: 719 casesProbable cause
Fluids: fuelAircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid levelBeech 58TC: 1 caseAll aircraft: 1,695 casesProbable cause
Terrain: rough terrainEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcomeBeech 58TC: 1 caseAll aircraft: 442 cases

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

According to the pilot of the twin-engine airplane, he descended from 7,000 ft and leveled off at 3,000 ft. After leveling off, the fuel quantity indicators fluctuated then showed empty. He recalled that, about 5 minutes after leveling off, the right engine began to run very roughly, so he enriched the right engine's mixture and activated the auxiliary fuel pump. He added that, subsequently, "the right engine failed and the left engine simultaneously began losing power." The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control, began receiving vectors, and the left engine lost power. The pilot pitched the airplane for best glide distance. He selected the nearest suitable landing area, extended the landing gear and flaps, and landed the airplane in a field. During the landing roll, he turned the airplane to the right to avoid a collision with obstacles, and the nose landing gear bounced several times and separated from the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage bulkheads, longerons, and stringers. The pilot believed that, due to his failure to visually check the fuel level, he overestimated the amount of fuel on board. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot of the twin-engine airplane, he was descended from 7,000 ft. and leveled off at 3,000 ft. After leveling off, the fuel quantity indicators fluctuated then showed empty. He recalled that about 5 minutes after leveling off, the right engine began to run very rough, so he enriched the right engine's mixture, and activated the auxiliary fuel pump. Subsequently, "the right engine failed and the left engine simultaneously began losing power". The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control, began receiving vectors, and the left engine lost power. The pilot pitched the airplane for best glide distance. He selected the nearest suitable landing area, extended the landing gear and flaps, and landed the airplane in a field. During the landing roll, he turned the airplane to the right to avoid a collision with obstacles, the nose landing gear bounced several times and separated from the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage bulkheads, longerons and stringers. The pilot believed that due to his failure to visually check the fuel level, he overestimated the amount of fuel on board. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N2CH
Reported as
Beech 58TC
Category
Airplane
Serial number
TK-72
Built
1978
Airframe hours
4,654
Engines
Continental TSIO-520-WB, 325 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental TSIO-520-WB, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
H3 Aviation, LLC
Registered owner
H3 Aviation, LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · September 16, 2016
Departed
KCAE · Columbia, SC
Destination
4J5 · Quitman, GA
Flight plan
IFR
Equipment
Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather

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
41
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
December 10, 2015
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
515 total · 85 in this make and model · 484 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
50° at 10 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
73 °F, dew point 32 °F
Altimeter
30.20 inHg
Observed at
KVLD

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 4, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 972 KB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.