- Date
- July 17, 1991, 16:52 local (23:52 UTC)
- Place
- Cupertino, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N54339Beech 55B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910717027669A
- Case key
- 27295
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
Fuel exhaustion which resulted from the pilot inaccurately calculating fuel consumption and fuel requirements.
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 final approach segment of a precision approach radar (par), the aircraft's left engine had a total loss of power. The pilot secured the engine and then noticed the right engine losing power. The pilot secured the right engine and entered a power off forced landing. He attempted to land on an interstate highway. During the descent, the airplane's right main landing gear contacted the top of a bus. The pilot continued the descent until the aircraft touched down on the highway. The aircraft collided with a lane divider during the landing roll and came to a rest. An FAA safety inspector examined the aircraft on scene and could not find any evidence of fuel in any of the aircraft's fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54339
- Reported as
- Beech 55B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 66-4307
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-L, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- U.S. Navy Moffett Field Navy
- Registered owner
- U.S. Navy Moffett Field Navy
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- AVX · Avalon, CA
- Destination
- NUQ · Moffett Field, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 678 total · 21 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.