Beech 95-B55 accident near Sitka, Alaska, August 11, 2008
On August 11, 2008 at about 5:40 am local time, a Beech 95-B55, registered N98HA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Sitka, Alaska (Sitka Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power in flight due to fuel exhaustion resulting from the pilot's inadequate fuel planning and navigation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2008 · about 5:40 am local time
- Place
- Sitka, Alaska · Sitka Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 · all 95-B55s on the register
- Registration
- N98HA · registry record · serial TC-2111
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot departed on an instrument-flight-rules (IFR), cross-country flight after obtaining fuel. The next planned fuel stop was about 741.5 nautical miles away. IFR weather conditions prevailed along the flight, but visual conditions existed at the next airport, where the pilot landed in order to obtain fuel. The pilot subsequently departed and contacted an Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) specialist to say that he was unable to refuel at that airport. He then requested a clearance to another airport, about 83.4 nautical miles away, and stated: “I hope we have enough fuel.” The ARTCC specialist offered a closer airport that was about 36 miles east. The pilot requested a clearance for the Localizer-Type Directional Aid (LDA) approach to the closer airport. During the initial stages of the approach, the pilot appeared to be unsure about the LDA approach procedures, and was unable to join the localizer for the approach. The ARTCC specialist asked the pilot if he wanted to try another approach, and the pilot said that he wanted to continue on to the airport that was 83.4 miles away instead. About 1 hour after the airplane had departed in search of additional fuel, and about 2 minutes before the accident, the ARTCC specialist contacted the pilot to request an estimate of his remaining fuel. The pilot’s last garbled radio transmission was: "Looks like we're having trouble with our left engine." A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located the airplane's wreckage in an area of mountainous, tree-covered terrain along the anticipated flight route. A responding state trooper reported that the airplane's fuel tanks were empty. Fuel consumption calculations disclosed that the estimated fuel remaining when the airplane arrived at the destination airport (where fuel was not available) was equivalent to about 1 hour and 11 minutes flight time at a cruise power setting. No mechanical problems with the airplane were discovered during postaccident inspections by the NTSB.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 105 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: January 9, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,617 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2007; 93 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GST Gustavus AK at 11:45 pm
- Destination: SIT Sitka AK
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from SIT, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.