Beechcraft 95-B55B N153Q

Summary

On 8 October 1992 at about 02:33 local time, a Beechcraft 95-B55B registered N153Q, operated by Larocca, Victor T., was involved in an accident near Chatham, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 October 1992 at 02:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Chatham, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

32.3008, -92.4505

Aircraft

Beechcraft 95-B55B

Registration

N153Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Larocca, Victor T.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Batesville → Beaumont

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW93FA008

1 person died.

THE INADVERTENT STALL AND SPIN. FACTORS WERE THE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, THE DARK NIGHT, AND HIS FAILURE TO USE THE BOOST PUMP FOR ENGINE RESTART.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY MADE ONLY ONE NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AS THE ONLY RATED PILOT IN THE AIRPLANE. ANOTHER PILOT WHO USUALLY SERVED AS A CREW MEMBER REPORTED THAT DURING THE CRUISE PORTION OF THE SECOND LEG OF HIS CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT WOULD NORMALLY RUN THE ENGINES ON THE AUXILIARY TANKS UNTIL THEY WERE EMPTY AND THEN SWITCH TO THE MAIN FUEL TANKS AND AIR START THE ENGINES. THIS PROCEDURE REQUIRES THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS BE IN THE 'ON' POSITION. THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE IN THE 'OFF' POSITION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK HAD RUPTURED AND ONLY FOUR GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED. TWENTY SEVEN GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE LEFT MAIN TANK. EACH OF THE AUXILIARY TANKS CONTAINED LESS THAN ONE PINT OF FUEL. WITNESSES THREE MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED A DARK NIGHT. ENGINE TEST RUNS WERE PERFORMED ON BOTH ENGINES THROUGHOUT ALL POWER RANGES AND THERE WERE NO ANOMALIES FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. A REVIEW OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DATA REVEALED THAT THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND REPORTED THE AIRPLANE OUT OF CONTROL IN A FLAT SPIN. THE PILOT DID NOT REFUEL PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON THE SECOND LEG OF HIS NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.