Beech 95B55 accident near Wilmington, DE

On August 18, 2019, a Beech 95B55 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Wilmington, DE. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

August 18, 2019

Place

Wilmington, DE

Aircraft

Beech 95B55 · Airplane

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

39.691°N, 75.638°W

NTSB ID

20190818X02829

Official records · ERA19FA250

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• FAA Local Controller ATC Audio Recording: Audio recording (WMA), on ntsb.gov
• Summary Of Air Traffic Control Communications: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 18, 2019, about 0851 eastern daylight time, a Beech 95-B55, N678DM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wilmington, Delaware. The pilot and the flight instructor were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The airplane was departing New Castle Airport (ILG), Wilmington, Delaware. Air traffic control radio communication data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated the pilot established communication with the tower controller at ILG, who cleared the airplane for takeoff from runway 32 and instructed the pilot make left traffic. About 1 minute later, the pilot advised that during takeoff, a door popped open. The controller instructed the pilot to make a 180° turn and back-taxi on runway 32. About 2 minutes later, the pilot requested to take off from runway 32, and the controller cleared the flight for takeoff. About 2 minutes later, the pilot advised the controller that he was returning to the runway; however, he did not specify a reason or declare an emergency. The controller cleared the flight to land on any runway. The controller then gave a wind check and attempted to contact the pilot but received no response. A witness driving on a nearby interstate reported that he saw the airplane “nose diving” and heading straight down into trees. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONA review of the pilot’s logbook, which was recovered in the wreckage, indicated he had recorded about 586 total hours of flight experience, with 72 hours of multi-e

Probable cause

The pilots’ failure to place the left fuel selector into the proper position, which resulted in a total loss of the left engine’s power due to fuel starvation. Contributing was their failure to properly secure the left engine and their failure to maintain control of the airplane during the attempt to return to the airport.

More accidents in DE

• Cessna 750, Mar 1, 2012
• Piper PA28, Sep 26, 2015
• Fairchild Hiller FH-1100, May 23, 2010
• Beech BE-200, Jun 16, 1992
• Piper PA-34, Nov 2, 2013

Browse: Delaware · Beech aircraft

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.