Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Calera, Alabama 35040
Friday, December 4, 1992 19:01 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND 5 PASSENGERS WERE ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. NIGHT, IMC PREVAILED. SHORTLY AFTER THE FLIGHT BEGAN A DESCENT FOR LANDING, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD AN 'ENGINE OUT'. HE THEN FOLLOWED UP BY SAYING THAT BOTH ENGINES WERE 'CUTTING OUT'. WHILE RECEIVING VECTORS TO A CLOSER AIRPORT, THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO THE WALL OF A DEEP ROCK QUARRY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND FIRE. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVES WAS IN THE 'AUX' TANK POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT CHECKLIST STATES THAT THE AUXILIARY TANKS ARE TO BE USED IN LEVEL FLIGHT ONLY. A TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION OF THE ENGINES AND COMPONENTS DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT WITH THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR HANDLES IMPROPERLY POSITIONED, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION AND ENGINE STOPPAGE. FACTORS WERE THE CLOUDY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE NIGHT LIGHTING CONDITIONS, AND THE STEEP, HILLY TERRAIN CONDITIONS (A QUARRY) AT THE CRASH SITE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/4/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1901 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | CALERA |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35040 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1850 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BHM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 644 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 6 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 6 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1006 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 4 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 52249 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7479N |
| NTSB Number | ATL93FA031 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | 95-B55B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 95-B55B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TC-1226 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5100 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 30 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 63 |
| Airframe Hours | 3014 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GENE STEWART, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1417 PELICAN BAY TRAIL |
| Aircraft Owner City | WINTER PARK |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32789 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GENE STEWART, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1417 PELICAN BAY TRAIL |
| Operator City | WINTER PARK |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 32789 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GNV |
| Departure City | GAINESVILLE |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1753 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BHM |
| Destination City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |