Beechcraft 77 N18257
23 July 1989 · Cluster Springs, Virginia, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 23 July 1989 at about 17:40 local time, a Beechcraft 77 registered N18257, operated by Piedmont Aviation Services Inc, was involved in an accident near Cluster Springs, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cluster Springs, Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft 77
- Registration
- N18257
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Piedmont Aviation Services Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Norfolk → South Boston
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- BFO89FA062
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PERFORM AN ADEQUATE PREFLIGHT WHICH RESULTED IN AN UNLATCHED FUEL FILLER CAP. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MONITOR THE FUEL SUPPLY DURING THE FLIGHT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE STU PILOT WAS EN ROUTE WHEN SHE RADIOED THE ENGINE WAS LOSING POWER. ACCORDING TO ANOTHER PLT, THE STU PLT SOUNDED PANIC-STRIKEN DURING THE TRANSMISSION. THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A SMALL POND, SURROUNDED BY AN OPEN FIELD. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, INDICATED THE ACFT STRUCK THE POND IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. INSPECTION OF THE LEFT WING SURFACE BEHIND THE FUEL TANK FILLER NECK, INDICATED THE FUEL CAP WAS UNFASTENED AND LAYING ON THE WING INFLIGHT. A FLIGHT TEST IN A SIMILAR ACFT WITH AN UNFASTENED LEFT FUEL CAP REVEALED THE CAP MOVED AFT AND WAS HELD BY ITS CHAIN. DURING THE TEST, FUEL SIPHONED FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. FUEL PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS INDICATED THE ACFT WOULD HAVE USED UP TO 13 GAL DURING THE FLIGHT. IT HAD A 30 GAL FUEL CAPACITY, 15 GAL PER TANK.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Beechcraft 77 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 1989 | Beechcraft 77 | Kalihi, Hawaii, United States | Great Bend Air, Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Sep 1988 | Beechcraft 77 | Friendship, Arkansas, United States | Central Flying Service, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 1990 | Beechcraft 77 | Terrell, Texas, United States | Bolen, MAX E. | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 1988 | Beechcraft 77 | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Schuster, Jerry R. | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 1990 | Beechcraft 77 | Taft, California, United States | Coyote Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 1988 | Beechcraft 77 | Farmingdale, New York, United States | Airco Leasing, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1989 | Piper PA-28-180 | Ashland, Virginia, United States | A & S Flying Services | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Mar 1989 | Halstead SANDPIPER | Chesapeake, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1989 | Rotorway EXEC | Palmyra, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Mar 1989 | Beechcraft V35TC | Roanoke, Virginia, United States | Ruffin K. Harris | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Mar 1989 | Beechcraft A60 | Manassas, Virginia, United States | RTS Service Inc. | Fatal | 5 |
| 24 Mar 1989 | Learjet 25 | Roanoke, Virginia, United States | Flight International, Inc. | No injuries | - |