Beechcraft 65-A90 N171TE
29 November 1998 · La Tortue, Haiti · Minor injuries
Summary
On 29 November 1998 at about 13:15 local time, a Beechcraft 65-A90 registered N171TE, operated by BPI Aerospace, was involved in an accident near La Tortue, Haiti. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 13:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- La Tortue, Haiti
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft 65-A90
- Registration
- N171TE
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- BPI Aerospace
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- North Perry → Haiti
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL99LA026
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
Inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate supply of fuel. A factor was the terrain ( water).
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, during pre-flight examination of the airplane performed the evening prior to the flight, the fuel gauges read 'around' 3/4 full. Visual examination of the tanks by the pilot revealed the tanks were not full but he believed the quantity was more than adequate to conduct his flight. While at 17000 feet MSL and approximately 60 miles from his destination, both the left engine and right engine suffered fuel exhaustion. After declaring an emergency, the pilot ditched the airplane in the Atlantic Ocean about ten miles off the coast of Isle De La Tortue, Haiti. The pilot received minor injuries and was rescued by the United States Coast Guard at 1730 the same day. Based on data obtained from the Raytheon Aircraft Company and 3/4 full fuel tanks, the total available flight time for this flight was approximately 4.00 hours. The actual flight time for this flight was 3.25 hours.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Beechcraft 65 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jan 1998 | Beechcraft 65-A90 | Selmer, Tennessee, United States | Stanton M. Smith | No injuries | - |
| 17 Oct 1998 | Beechcraft 65-A90 | Russellville, Arkansas, United States | Mid South Air, LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Oct 1998 | Beechcraft 65-B80 | Brainerd, Minnesota, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Dec 1999 | Beechcraft 65-80 | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1997 | Beechcraft 65 | Atlantic Ocean | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1999 | Beechcraft 65-A90 | Marine City, Michigan, United States | Parahawks Skydiving Center | Fatal | 10 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Feb 1998 | Douglas DC-3C | Moss Town, Haiti | Missionary Flight INT | No injuries | - |
| 5 Dec 1999 | Cessna 206 | Port-Au-Prince, Haiti | Unknown, Painted-Over | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Mar 1999 | Mil MI-8MTV-1 | Hinche, Haiti | International Charter, Inc. | Fatal | 13 |
| 24 Nov 2000 | Cessna 172P | Port Au Prince, Haiti | Redline Enterprises Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Feb 1996 | Aerospace Tech of Australia N24A | Port-Au-Prince, Haiti | Haiti Express Airways | Fatal | 11 |
| 7 Dec 1995 | Beechcraft 1900D | Port-Au-Prince, Haiti | Air Saint Martin | Fatal | 20 |