Beechcraft A45 N666

Summary

On 22 February 2014 at about 21:45 local time, a Beechcraft A45 registered N666, operated by John D Forter, was involved in an accident near Hollister, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 February 2014 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Hollister, California, United States

Nearest airport

Hollister Muni (CVH)

Coordinates

36.8875, -121.4161

Aircraft

Beechcraft A45

Registration

N666

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Engines

1

Operator

John D Forter

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hollister → Palo Alto

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA117

1 person was seriously injured.

The total loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel starvation and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and improper fuel management.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that, before the accident flight, he conducted a preflight inspection but that he did not verify the fuel level in each fuel tank. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, and the pilot then performed a 180-degree turn toward a field adjacent to the runway. About halfway through the turn, he realized that insufficient altitude existed to complete the turn, and he subsequently initiated a forced landing on a road. The airplane landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Wreckage recovery personnel reported that they removed less than 2 gallons of fuel from the left wing fuel tank and more than 10 gallons of fuel from the right wing fuel tank. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left wing fuel tank. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.