- Date
- April 4, 1993, 20:45 local (Apr 5, 1993, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Leesburg, VA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N777EVBeech E-55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930404007799A
- Case key
- 37299
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 selectors, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of power in both engines. Darkness was a related factor.
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
Before takeoff, the pilot refueled the main tanks, but did not refuel the auxiliary tanks. While approaching her destination airport and using the auxiliary tanks, she experienced a double power loss. She was unable to get the engines restarted. During an off airport landing, the airplane struck a small building and a security fence. An examination of the airplane revealed the auxiliary tanks were intact with no evidence of leakage and that they were empty. The right main tank had 20 gallons of fuel remaining; the left main had been ruptured at the accident site and was empty. Fuel was found on the ground around the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N777EV
- Reported as
- Beech E-55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-871
- Airframe hours
- 3,111
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Beverly D. Sharp
- Registered owner
- Zeus Enterprises, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 1992 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- ORF · Norfolk, VA
- Destination
- JYO
- Airport
- JYO · Leesburg Muni
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 905 total · 41 in this make and model · 818 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD, 9 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 N777EV · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.