Beechcraft 58TC N2CH

Summary

On 5 November 2016 at about 20:43 local time, a Beechcraft 58TC registered N2CH, operated by H3 Aviation, LLC, was involved in an accident near Valdosta, Georgia, United States. 3 people were 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

5 November 2016 at 20:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Valdosta, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

30.7814, -83.2761

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58TC

Registration

N2CH

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

2

Operator

H3 Aviation, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Columbia → Quitman

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA058

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to ensure that adequate fuel was onboard for the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot of the twin-engine airplane, he descended from 7,000 ft and leveled off at 3,000 ft. After leveling off, the fuel quantity indicators fluctuated then showed empty. He recalled that, about 5 minutes after leveling off, the right engine began to run very roughly, so he enriched the right engine's mixture and activated the auxiliary fuel pump. He added that, subsequently, "the right engine failed and the left engine simultaneously began losing power." The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control, began receiving vectors, and the left engine lost power. The pilot pitched the airplane for best glide distance. He selected the nearest suitable landing area, extended the landing gear and flaps, and landed the airplane in a field. During the landing roll, he turned the airplane to the right to avoid a collision with obstacles, and the nose landing gear bounced several times and separated from the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage bulkheads, longerons, and stringers. The pilot believed that, due to his failure to visually check the fuel level, he overestimated the amount of fuel on board. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.