Beechcraft E90 N916PA

Summary

On 10 June 1996 at about 10:00 local time, a Beechcraft E90 registered N916PA was involved in an accident near Woolwich, Maine, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 June 1996 at 10:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Woolwich, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Wiscasset (IWI)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Beechcraft E90

Registration

N916PA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wiscasset → Philadelphia

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

NYC96FA123

2 people died.

failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane while climbing after takeoff, due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and subsequent collision with terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: the improper refueling (servicing of the aircraft) by FBO personnel, and failure of the pilot to note the excessive lateral imbalance of the airplane during preflight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot took off on runway 7 and was cleared direct to the Wiscasset NDB, east of the airport. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane began turning to the left. The pilot then asked the controller, '. . . can you tell if I'm in a turn? I have a problem here.' Soon thereafter, the airplane collided with terrain in an uncontrolled descent, about 1.6 miles north of the airport. Investigation revealed that three days before the accident, a refueler had fueled the airplane's left wing with 840 pounds of fuel, then the fuel farm ran out of fuel. No further fueling was accomplished, and the pilot was not advised of the uneven fuel load. Procedures in the Beech E90 Pilot's Operating Manual (POM) included a check of the fuel tanks during preflight. The Beech C90 POM specified a maximum fuel imbalance of 200 pounds, but the E90 POM did not specify a maximum fuel imbalance. During examination of the wreckage, no preimpact malfunction or failure was found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.