Beechcraft BE-18 N498BH

Summary

On 8 August 2006 at about 16:34 local time, a Beechcraft BE-18 registered N498BH, operated by Luis E. Hernandez, was involved in an accident near Culebra, United States. 2 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

8 August 2006 at 16:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Culebra, United States

Coordinates

18.3167, -65.3250

Aircraft

Beechcraft BE-18

Registration

N498BH

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Luis E. Hernandez

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. John's → San Juan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC06LA112

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation/exhaustion in all engines for an undetermined reason during cruise flight, which resulted in a forced landing and ditching.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport certificated pilot was hired to fly the twin engine airplane from Antigua to Puerto Rico. The airplane had not been flown in the previous 12 years, and the initial test flight revealed some discrepancies, including high fuel pressure on the right engine, and a strong smell of gasoline fumes inside the airplane. On the accident date, the pilot said that he was told the airplane had received an annual inspection, and had been fueled with 152 gallons in the main wing tanks. He said he had a conversation with maintenance personnel who told him that there was some residual fuel in the left rear fuel tank, and that fuel in the right rear tank would not feed. The pilot said he departed with 3 hours of fuel on the Title 14, CFR Part 91 flight. About 1.5 hours after departure, he noticed a strong odor of fuel inside the airplane, and shortly thereafter, the right engine lost power, followed quickly by the left engine. He said he suspected a fuel stoppage problem and performed emergency procedures by switching fuel tanks and attempting to restart the engines. The pilot noted that he was unable to cross-feed fuel because the valve handle would turn 360 degrees, without operating properly. He also noted that there was no fuel pressure, and the fuel gauges indicated empty. The pilot was unable to restart either engine, feathered the propellers, and ditched the airplane near the shore of an island. The airplane subsequently sank in about 50 feet of water. The owner of the airplane reported that after the airplane was retrieved, 60 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left wing fuel tank, and 25 gallons was recovered from the right wing fuel tank.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.