- Date
- August 14, 1992, 17:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Oxford, ME
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N14WWBeech D55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920814031359A
- Case key
- 37071
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 improper preflight and fuel tank selection for takeoff, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of power in both engines during takeoff.
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 pilot initiated a takeoff on runway 33. After liftoff, the left engine quit, followed shortly by the right engine. The pilot made a forced landing in an area with trees. An exam revealed the fuel tank selectors were in the auxiliary (aux) positions. No fuel leaks were detected in the aux tanks. The left aux tank had 4 gallons of fuel remaining, and the right aux tank had 5 gallons remaining. Though damaged, 1 gallon of fuel was found in the left main tank; the right main tank was empty. After the accident, 15 gallons of fuel was added to the left main tank before it began to leak; no test of the right main tank was made since its bladder was ruptured. The pilot's operating handbook required that for takeoff, the main fuel tanks be selected and that each main tank have a minimum of 13 gallons of fuel. After the accident, both engines were started and ran normally, using the fuel in the tanks. The pilot had a total of 30 hours in this make and model of airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14WW
- Reported as
- Beech D55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-593
- Airframe hours
- 4,100
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Larsen Aircraft Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 4, 1992 · 6 hours before
- Destination
- LWM · Lawrence, MA
- Airport
- 81B · Oxford County Regional, runway 33, 3,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total · 30 in this make and model · 1,800 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.