Beech C-90 accident near Newton, WV
On February 16, 1998, a Beech C-90 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Newton, WV. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 16, 1998
- Place
- Newton, WV
- Aircraft
- Beech C-90 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.590°N, 81.150°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X09556
Official records · IAD98FA027
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Transcript Of Radio Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 16, 1998, at 0936 eastern standard time, a Beech C-90, N5WU, was destroyed when it collided with terrain 22 miles from the Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia, while attempting an off airport land. The certificated commercial pilot, and the certificated commercial copilot were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the positioning flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane was owned and operated by the University of West Virginia Foundation, and departed the Morgantown Municipal Airport, Morgantown, West Virginia, approximately 0905. On February 15, 1998, the airplane was flown from Morgantown to Charleston to drop off passengers for an upcoming sports event. Once there, the pilot called the mechanic who was scheduled to replace the right transfer pump. According to the mechanic, the pilot stated, "You are not going to believe this, but my right boost pump has gone out, too." The pilot inquired if a new boost pump could be obtained along with the transfer pump. The mechanic told the pilot that he could obtain a new boost pump, and would replace both pumps the next morning in Charleston. The mechanic then told the pilot that de-fueling the airplane would take longer than changing the pumps. The pilot responded by saying he would run the fuel tank down so the mechanic could complete the repairs. The mechanic recalled that the pilot was concerned about the amount of time necessary for the repair, since they were scheduled to fly the passengers back to
Probable cause
The pilot inadequate management of the fuel system which resulted in fuel starvation to both engines. Factors in the accident were the pilot's concern about maintenance being completed prior to executing a scheduled flight later in the day, and operating the airplane with known deficiencies.
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Browse: West Virginia · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
