Beechcraft 55 N8472N

Summary

On 10 March 2001 at about 15:30 local time, a Beechcraft 55 registered N8472N was involved in an accident near Lake Wales, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 March 2001 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lake Wales, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Lake Wales (X07)

Coordinates

29.1697, -81.1400

Aircraft

Beechcraft 55

Registration

N8472N

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Elkin → Lake Wales

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL01LA038

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to follow the descent and before landing checklist that resulted in fuel starvation to both engines and the subsequent loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While on final approach to land on runway 6, 100 feet above the ground and 1/4 mile from touchdown, both engines lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing in a pasture. During the forced landing, the main landing gear was torn from the airframe, and the airplane sustained major structural damage. Examination revealed the airplane's engines failed due to fuel starvation. The pilot did not report any component failure before his forced landing in the field. He had flown only approximately three hours before experiencing a loss of power on both engines. He used the fuel from the auxiliary fuel tanks en route to the destination airport and switched the fuel selectors to the main tanks on final approach. Both the descent and before landing checklists require that the pilot switch the fuel selectors to the main fuel tanks.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.