Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Longmont, Colorado 80503
Thursday, January 23, 1997 20:50 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot had made a refueling stop at Vandalia, Illinois. She did not observe the refueling process, but the FBO also operated a King Air and she felt he knew the proper procedure to follow. The airplane was reportedly serviced with 235 gallons of Jet-A fuel (total capacity is 384 gallons). The pilot flew between 7,500 and 10,500 feet. When the airplane was 45 minutes from its destination, the fuel transfer pump lights illuminated, indicating the wing tanks were empty. The nacelle tank gauges registered 3/4 full and the pilot determined she had sufficient fuel to complete the flight. When the airplane was three minutes from its destination, both engines flamed out and the pilot made a wheels up forced landing. When the salvage company recovered the airplane, they reported finding no evidence of fuel aboard. The pilot was provided and used performance charts for the Beech 65-A90 instead of the Beech B90.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Failure of the pilot to refuel the airplane, resulting in fuel exhaustion. Factors were the pilot's reference to similar but different aircraft performance charts, and the operator's failure to provide the pilot with the proper performance charts.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/23/1997
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2050
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City LONGMONT
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80503
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2045 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 166
Weather Observation Facility ID BJC
Elevation of weather observation facility 5671
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 8000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -2
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 4918
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 17
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 23 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2119
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:05PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N76GM
NTSB Number FTW97LA088
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Beech
Aircraft Model B90
Aircraft Series Identifier B90
Aircraft Serial Number LJ-498
Certified Max Gross Weight 9650
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Jan 22 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 8
Airframe Hours 10530
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FAYARD ENTERPRISES, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 703
Aircraft Owner City LOUISBURG
Aircraft Owner State NC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 27549
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name MILE-HI SKYDIVING CENTER, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 229 AIRPORT RD.
Operator City LONGMONT
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80503
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code VLA
Departure City VANDALIA
Departure State IL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1800
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 2V2
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --