Beech BE-18 accident near Culebra, Puerto Rico, August 8, 2006
On August 8, 2006 at about 4:34 pm local time, a Beech BE-18, registered N498BH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Culebra, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation/exhaustion in all engines for an undetermined reason during cruise flight, which resulted in a forced landing and ditching.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2006 · about 4:34 pm local time
- Place
- Culebra, Puerto Rico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-18
- Registration
- N498BH · no longer on the register · serial 39952
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot was hired to fly the twin engine airplane from Antigua to Puerto Rico. The airplane had not been flown in the previous 12 years, and the initial test flight revealed some discrepancies, including high fuel pressure on the right engine, and a strong smell of gasoline fumes inside the airplane. On the accident date, the pilot said that he was told the airplane had received an annual inspection, and had been fueled with 152 gallons in the main wing tanks. He said he had a conversation with maintenance personnel who told him that there was some residual fuel in the left rear fuel tank, and that fuel in the right rear tank would not feed. The pilot said he departed with 3 hours of fuel on the Title 14, CFR Part 91 flight. About 1.5 hours after departure, he noticed a strong odor of fuel inside the airplane, and shortly thereafter, the right engine lost power, followed quickly by the left engine. He said he suspected a fuel stoppage problem and performed emergency procedures by switching fuel tanks and attempting to restart the engines. The pilot noted that he was unable to cross-feed fuel because the valve handle would turn 360 degrees, without operating properly. He also noted that there was no fuel pressure, and the fuel gauges indicated empty. The pilot was unable to restart either engine, feathered the propellers, and ditched the airplane near the shore of an island. The airplane subsequently sank in about 50 feet of water. The owner of the airplane reported that after the airplane was retrieved, 60 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left wing fuel tank, and 25 gallons was recovered from the right wing fuel tank.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 34,450 hours in all; 14,150 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 27,600 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2006; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANU St. John'S at 3:00 pm
- Destination: TJIG San Juan PR
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.