Beechcraft 60 N478AD
28 December 1989 · Erie, Pennsylvania, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 28 December 1989 at about 17:01 local time, a Beechcraft 60 registered N478AD, operated by Automation Devices, Inc., was involved in an accident near Erie, Pennsylvania, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 17:01
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
- Coordinates
- 42.1708, -79.9896
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft 60
- Registration
- N478AD
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Automation Devices, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Erie → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI90FA050
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL ON BOARD FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE AN INOPERATIVE RIGHT FUEL QUANTITY GAGE WHICH RESULTED IN INACCURATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS, AND AN INADVERTENT STALL AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTRD TO REACH A LAKE SHORE FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT DEPARTED ON A LOCAL VFR FLIGHT AT 1117. AT 1154 HE CONTACTED ERIE TOWER FOR LANDING. HE THEN ADVISED THE TOWER AT 1159 THAT HE HAD FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE. ONE MINUTE LATER HE REPORTED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS '...KICKING OUT.' THE AIRCRAFT STALLED INTO A HOUSE 6 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, AND JUST SHORT OF THE SHORELINE OF LAKE ERIE. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT WING. 7 GALS WERE DRAINED FROM THE LEFT WING; NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT ENG. RIGHT FUEL QUANTITY C/B SECURED IN OUT POSITION BY WIRE TIE; SEVERAL BURNED COMPONENTS FOUND ON BACK OF RIGHT FUEL QUANTITY GAGE PC BOARD. MOST RECENT RECORD OF FUEL PURCHASE WHICH COULD BE FOUND WAS FOR MAY 25, 1989. A POCKET DIARY WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE WHICH CONTAINED ENTRIES OF FLIGHT TIMES AND FUEL QUANTITY NOTATIONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Beechcraft 60 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun 1989 | Beechcraft 60 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1988 | Beechcraft 60 | Pageland, South Carolina, United States | Rickey L. Newsom | Fatal | 3 |
| 26 Oct 1988 | Beechcraft 60 | Norwood, Massachusetts, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1991 | Beechcraft 60 | Kinston, North Carolina, United States | Kelco Aircraft, Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
| 30 Sep 1986 | Beechcraft 60 | Boulder, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Dec 1985 | Beechcraft 60 | Lakeland, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 1989 | Cessna 150L | Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States | Gull Aviation, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 1989 | Schweizer 1-23 | Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, United States | Bruno Cerceo | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 1989 | Cessna 172 | Mt Pleasant, Pennsylvania, United States | Milton R. Barclay | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1989 | Schweizer 269C | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Atlantic Leasing SER., Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 1989 | Grumman AA-5 | Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, United States | Jess Baker | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1989 | Ryan ST-3KR | Factoryville, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |