Accident Beechcraft B55 Baron N153Q,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38103
 
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Date:Wednesday 7 October 1992
Time:22:33 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE55 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft B55 Baron
Owner/operator:Larocca, Victor T.
Registration: N153Q
MSN: TC-761
Total airframe hrs:3427 hours
Engine model:CONTINENTAL IO-520-E2B
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Chatham, LA -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Batesville, MS (OM6)
Destination airport:Beaumont, TX (KBMT)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY MADE ONLY ONE NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AS THE ONLY RATED PILOT IN THE AIRPLANE. ANOTHER PILOT WHO USUALLY SERVED AS A CREW MEMBER REPORTED THAT DURING THE CRUISE PORTION OF THE SECOND LEG OF HIS CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT WOULD NORMALLY RUN THE ENGINES ON THE AUXILIARY TANKS UNTIL THEY WERE EMPTY AND THEN SWITCH TO THE MAIN FUEL TANKS AND AIR START THE ENGINES. THIS PROCEDURE REQUIRES THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS BE IN THE 'ON' POSITION. THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE IN THE 'OFF' POSITION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK HAD RUPTURED AND ONLY FOUR GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED. TWENTY SEVEN GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE LEFT MAIN TANK. EACH OF THE AUXILIARY TANKS CONTAINED LESS THAN ONE PINT OF FUEL. WITNESSES THREE MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED A DARK NIGHT. ENGINE TEST RUNS WERE PERFORMED ON BOTH ENGINES THROUGHOUT ALL POWER RANGES AND THERE WERE NO ANOMALIES FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. A REVIEW OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DATA REVEALED THAT THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND REPORTED THE AIRPLANE OUT OF CONTROL IN A FLAT SPIN. THE PILOT DID NOT REFUEL PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON THE SECOND LEG OF HIS NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT.

Probable Cause: THE INADVERTENT STALL AND SPIN. FACTORS WERE THE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, THE DARK NIGHT, AND HIS FAILURE TO USE THE BOOST PUMP FOR ENGINE RESTART.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: FTW93FA008
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 11 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB FTW93FA008

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
06-Jun-2023 16:51 Ron Averes Updated [[Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]]
10-Apr-2024 17:27 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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