ERA20TA030

Factual narrative

On November 3, 2019, about 2150 eastern standard time, a Beech 76, N6015Z, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on a road near Doral, Florida. The commercial pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated by GPS Global Pilot School under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight originated at Hilton Head Airport (HXD), Hilton Head, South Carolina about 1840 and was destined for Miami Executive Airport (TMB), Miami, Florida. The pilot reported that he landed at HXD with 55 to 60 gallons of fuel on board, and another 20 gallons of fuel were purchased before departing HXD. The fuel tanks were not filled to capacity at HXD. He estimated that the fuel needed to fly to TMB was 65 gallons with 15 gallons in reserve. The en route portion of the flight was uneventful. About 20 miles northwest of TMB, at 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl), the right engine "failed without warning." An attempt to restart the engine was unsuccessful. The right engine propeller was feathered. Following some radio communication problems, contact with Miami approach was re-established and the pilot diverted to Miami International Airport (MIA), Miami, Florida. About 500 ft msl, the left engine also experienced a sudden total loss of power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and attempted a forced landing on a road to the west of MIA. Shortly before touchdown, the left wing struck a truck on the road. The airplane came to a stop and the pilots egressed the airplane and were met by first responders. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. Both wings and the fuselage were structurally damaged. The airplane was equipped with a fuel tank in each wing, with a capacity of 50 gallons useable in each tank. The tanks were drained; 1/2 cup of fuel was recovered from the left tank and 1 cup of fuel was recovered from the right tank. The inspector arrived on scene within one hour of the accident and reported that there was no fuel leaking from either tank and no fuel stains were observed on the ground under the airplane. First responders also reported that there was no fuel leaking from the airplane when they arrived on scene. The pilot stated that he estimated that he had sufficient fuel onboard before departing on the flight. About 20 miles from the destination, at 2,000 ft mean sea level (msl), the right engine suddenly lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. The pilot then diverted toward a closer airport. About 500 ft msl, the left engine also suddenly lost power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and attempted a forced landing on a road. Shortly before touchdown, the left wing impacted a truck on the road and the airplane was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination revealed that both fuel tanks were intact, and no fuel was leaking. About 1 cup and 1/2 cup of fuel were recovered from the left and right fuel tanks, respectively. Thus, it is likely that the pilot either incorrectly estimated his fuel state before departure or he underestimated the fuel required to reach the destination and exhausted the airplane's fuel supply, which resulted in a total loss of power to both engines. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Fuel planning-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
• C Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid level - C