- Date
- September 1, 1992, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Picayune, MS
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2377WBeech BE-A23-19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920901035509A
- Case key
- 32993
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 failure of the pilot in command to place the fuel selector on the fullest tank, resulting in an engine failure due to fuel starvation over unsuitable 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
The private pilot and one passenger departed on a 2 hour flight with about 20 gallons of fuel in each fuel tank. The airplane was not found until 2 days later, burned in a wooded area. The fuel consumption for 2 hours would be about 19 gallons. The fuel selector was found on the left tank and the left wing exhibited less fire damage than the right wing. No evidence of powerplant or airframe preexisting failures were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2377W
- Reported as
- Beech BE-A23-19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MB-14
- Airframe hours
- 2,085
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2C, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kotterman, Robert D.
- Registered owner
- Kotterman, Robert D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1992 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- PTN · Patterson, LA
- Destination
- PCU · Picayune, MS
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 75 total · 15 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCB, 30 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.
Other investigations on N2377W · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.