- Date
- December 19, 1992, 07:39 local (12:39 UTC)
- Place
- Orlando, FL
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N555GCBeech 65
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921219050899A
- Case key
- 33170
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 feather the propeller to maintain altitude following a loss of power of the left engine. The power loss was due to an improperly maintained fuel system. In addition, the right engine lost power for an undetermined reason(s).
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
Plt reported level at 6,000 ft; no further transmissions were received. Radar data shows that after 5 min at cruise flt groundspeed began to slow, and as speed reached 85 KTS (VMC is 83 KTS) acft made a rapid turn to the left and the speed dropped to 74 KTS. Radar contact was then lost. Witnesses reported hearing and seeing acft with an eng sputtering and quitting, at which time no eng noise was audible. Eng would then restart, and at one point acft was observed initiating a climb after eng start. Eng restarted and obtained near full power, and a short time later sound of impact was heard. The left eng fuel servo was found contaminated with corrosion and dirt, and would not allow fuel flow to the eng. The fuel strainer for this eng was installed backwards allowing unfiltered fuel to enter the eng. The left propeller was not feathered and had no signs of rotation under power. Right eng fuel servo also contained corrosion & contamination. The aircraft did not have a current annual inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N555GC
- Reported as
- Beech 65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LC-164
- Airframe hours
- 3,700
- Engine
- Lycoming IGSO-480-A1E6, 340 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Edwards, William J.
- Registered owner
- Glenn M. Cone
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 4, 1993
- Departed
- SFB · Sanford, FL
- Destination
- FXE · Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 54
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,269 total · 40 in this make and model · 8,046 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 19 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.