Beechcraft 55 N9404Q

Summary

On 1 October 2019 at about 16:00 local time, a Beechcraft 55 registered N9404Q was involved in an accident near Grove City, Pennsylvania, 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

1 October 2019 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Grove City, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Grove City (29D)

Coordinates

41.1461, -80.1681

Aircraft

Beechcraft 55

Registration

N9404Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1970

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grove City → Grove City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20LA052

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s mismanagement of the airplane’s available fuel, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power to the left engine, and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while on final approach to the runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the twin-engine airplane was returning to the departure airport and was on final approach to the runway at an altitude of about 200 ft above ground level. The pilot believed that the airplane was approaching the runway too low and increased power to the engines, but the left engine did not respond as he expected. The pilot attempted to maintain directional control of the airplane, but the airplane impacted the grass to the left of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left fuel selector was positioned to the main tank, where about 4.6 gallons of fuel (3.5 gallons of which was usable) were present. One ounce of fuel was found in the main fuel line to the left engine, and “one drop” of fuel was found in the fuel line to the fuel flow divider. Examination of the left engine otherwise revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident. The pilot provided conflicting statements describing of the events that transpired on the day of the accident regarding the flight’s itinerary and the amount of fuel onboard the airplane. Given that the postaccident examination of the engine showed no discrepancies, and that only trace amounts of fuel were found in the fuel system and engine, it is most likely that the pilot did not adequately manage the available fuel supply, which resulted in the reported loss of left engine power while on final approach to the runway. The pilot subsequently failed to maintain directional control of the airplane during the events that followed, which ultimately resulted in impact with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.