Event ERA20LA052

Factual narrative

On October 1, 2019, at 1200 eastern daylight time, a Beech 55, N9404Q, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Grove City Airport (29D), Grove City, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. In a written report of the accident, the pilot stated that he departed from 29D around 1000, and that the airplane’s fuel state at takeoff was “1/4 tank.” He then flew to Greenville Municipal Airport (4G1), Greenville, Pennsylvania, where he visited with the airport manager before returning to 29D. The pilot described that while on final approach to land, he felt the airplane was low and he “gave the airplane some power.” The left engine then “sputtered and surged.” The pilot further described that, “it did not quit but it was not making power.” The airplane was near the end of the runway and at an altitude of about 200 ft above the ground. The pilot stated that he then used the right rudder to get the airplane under control and that it was 10° left of course. Because the airplane was heading towards the occupied airport ramp, he decreased power to the right engine, decreased the pitch, and the airplane impacted the ground and slid to a stop. In a subsequent interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector the pilot stated that he departed 29D with an unknown quantity of fuel and flew to 4G1, which was a 10-minute flight. The pilot described that he overflew the airport to see if a mechanic friend was there; because his friend was not there, the pilot began the return trip to 29D. At that point, the pilot noted that the airplane had about one-eighth tank of fuel in both fuel tanks. The FAA inspector also spoke with airport management personnel at 29D, who reported that the pilot's credit card was charged twice at the airport's self-service fuel pump the day after the accident. The first charge, at 1052, was for 5.5 gallons; the second charge, at 1008, was for 5.5 gallons. The accident was not reported to the FAA or the NTSB until December 10, 2019. Subsequent examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that the fuselage had been substantially damaged. The fuel selectors were positioned to the left and right main tanks. The left wing's main fuel tank had 4.6 gallons of fuel (3.5 gallons of which was usable), and the auxiliary tank contained 2 gallons of fuel. The left engine's main fuel feed line was disconnected from the firewall, and 1 ounce of fuel was collected. The fuel was placed in a glass container and was observed to be absent of debris and water. The fuel line to the flow divider was removed, and “one drop” of fuel was observed. The digital left fuel gauge indicated a total of 7 gallons of fuel. Examination of the left engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot