Beechcraft 95-A55 N401W

Summary

On 28 May 1995 at about 15:07 local time, a Beechcraft 95-A55 registered N401W was involved in an accident near Tuskeegee, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 May 1995 at 15:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Tuskeegee, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Tuskegee Municipal (06A)

Coordinates

32.3891, -85.6800

Aircraft

Beechcraft 95-A55

Registration

N401W

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Titusville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL95LA100

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning that resulted in fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES. AT THE DESTINATION, TWO VOR APPROACHES WERE EXECUTED, WITH EACH FOLLOWED BY A MISSED APPROACH. ON THE SECOND MISSED APPROACH, THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE, THEN ELECTED TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD. WITNESSES AT THE FIELD STATED THAT VISUAL CONDITIONS EXISTED BELOW THE CLOUDS. A SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER AT 2900 FEET MSL WAS REPORTED BY THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY, ABOUT 40 MILES EAST OF THE DESTINATION. THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THE DESTINATION APPROACH WAS 1020 FEET MSL. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED WITH ABOUT 74 GALLONS OF FUEL, IN THE MAIN TANKS, ONLY. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE AIRPLANE, AND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE ON THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST VERTICALLY NOSE DOWN, WITH TREES SUSPENDING THE AIRPLANE SO THAT THE NOSE BARELY TOUCHED THE GROUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.