- Date
- November 22, 1989, 17:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Richmond, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8074RBeech A24R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 34914
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
Improper use of the fuel tank selector by the pilot and his improper use of emergency procedures, which resulted in fuel starvation after a fuel tank had emptied. Contributing factors were: inoperative fuel quantity gauges, pilot's operation with known deficiencies in the aircraft, dark night, total loss of electrical power, and lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
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
When the x-country began, the vacuum sys & comm radios were inop, but otherwise, the initial leg of the flt was normal. The plt checked that the acft lgts were operg for the rtrn flt, but he noted the fuel gauges indcd empty (although the acft had been fully svcd with fuel). At abt sunset on the rtrn flt, the electrical sys bcm inop & the normal lndg gear extn sys & flaps would not operate. About 15 min later, as the acft was nearing its destn, the eng lost power & the plt manually extended the lndg gear, using his flashlight to monitor the airspeed. The plt stated that he switched the fuel selector & tried to restart the eng, but was unable. Subsequently, a crash lndg was made at the top of a river bank at night. Drg an investigation, the fuel selector was found positioned to an empty tank & the other tank still contained usable fuel. The plt had accumulated abt 7 hrs of flt time in this make & model of acft, all on the day of the acdnt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8074R
- Reported as
- Beech A24R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MC-43
- Airframe hours
- 2,763
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Muhs, David P., doing business as Minnetonka, Aviation
- Registered owner
- Muhs, David P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 22, 1988
- Departed
- SPF · Spearfish, SD
- Destination
- STC · St Cloud, MN
- Airport
- NONE
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 110 total · 7 in this make and model · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 12 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STC, 10 nm away