Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Erie International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Erie, Pennsylvania 16501
Thursday, June 8, 2000 22:35 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot flew the twin engine airplane from Erie, Pennsylvania, to Concord, North Carolina, to Dunkirk, New York. Prior to departure from Dunkirk, the pilot declined fuel servicing, and did not visually check the fuel tanks. The pilot stated that when the engines were started the left fuel indicator was between the top of the 'empty' white arc and 1/4 tank, and the right fuel indicator was between 1/4 and 1/2 tank. After a 25 minute flight, while on a straight in approach to Erie, the pilot noticed that the left fuel indicator was in the white arc and prepared for an engine failure. The pilot turned the right fuel selector handle one turn to the left in an attempt to cross-feed fuel from the right tank to both engines. Shortly thereafter, the pilot felt an engine problem and pushed all the controls full forward; however, he did not remember exactly what happened after that point. The airplane descended through trees and came to rest between two buildings. According to a fuel placard, when the right fuel selector handle was turned one click to the left, the selector was in the cross-feed mode, which allowed fuel from the left tank to cross-feed to the right engine. Another fuel placard said, 'Do not take-off if fuel quantity indication gauges indicate in yellow arc or with less than 13 gallons in each wing system.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's improper fuel management which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of power to both engines. A factor was the pilot's inadequate pre-flight planning and takeoff with inadequate fuel for the flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/8/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2235 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ERIE |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16501 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | ERIE INTERNATIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ERI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 60 |
| Airport Elevation | 733 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2153 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ERI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 733 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 694 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Eastern Region / FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 8 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 10 2001 4:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N777K |
| NTSB Number | IAD00LA049 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | BE-55 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | BE-55 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TC-1893 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 18 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SCHAPER AVENUE AVIATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2022 SCHAPER AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ERIE |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 16502 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JOHN FARRELL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | MCKEAN |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 16426 |
| 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 | DKK |
| Departure City | DUNKIRK |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2210 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | ERI |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 10 2001 4:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 6500 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |