Beech 55-95B55B accident near Delta Junction, Alaska, July 29, 1992
On July 29, 1992 at about 4:13 am local time, a Beech 55-95B55B, registered N7041M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Delta Junction, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION OF BOTH ENGINES AND THE PILOT'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY NOT GETTING MORE FUEL OR CANCELLING THE FLIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT NOT FOLLOWING PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES (THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL) WHEN HE OPERATED THE ENGINES FROM THE AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS WHILE IN A DESCENT, AND THEN FAILED TO USE THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE ENGINES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1992 · about 4:13 am local time
- Place
- Delta Junction, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 55-95B55B
- Registration
- N7041M · registry record · serial TF-30
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING PREFLIGHT REFUELING, THE FUEL SYSTEM STOPPED PUMPING FUEL, SO THE PILOT DID NOT GET AS MUCH FUEL AS HE HAD INTENDED BEFORE BEGINNING THE LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. THE PILOT INTENTIONALLY OPERATED THE ENGINES FROM THE AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS, WHILE IN A DESCENT, UNTIL THEY WERE EMPTY, AT WHICH TIME BOTH ENGINES QUIT SIMULTANEOUSLY AT APPROXIMATELY 5,000 FEET. HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINES, AND SUBSEQUENTLY MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A WOODED AREA. THE PILOT SAID THAT HIS INSTRUCTOR HAD IMPLIED THAT RUNNING THE AUXILIARY TANKS DRY WAS A SAFE PROCEDURE. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD NOT TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS WHILE TRYING TO RESTART THE ENGINES, AS SPECIFIED IN AN ADDENDUM TO THE AFM. HE SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT ADDENDUM UNTIL AFTER THE ACCIDENT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 28 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE MAIN FUEL TANKS.
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: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 892 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 324 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,890 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 1992; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L(9) (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eielson Afb Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: EIL Eielson Afb AK at 10:10 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from BIG, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC92LA114.