Beech 55 accident near Lake Wales, Florida, March 10, 2001
On March 10, 2001 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Beech 55, registered N8472N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Wales, Florida (Lake Wales airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow the descent and before landing checklist that resulted in fuel starvation to both engines and the subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 2001 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · Lake Wales · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 55
- Registration
- N8472N · no longer on the register · serial TE-577
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on final approach to land on runway 6, 100 feet above the ground and 1/4 mile from touchdown, both engines lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing in a pasture. During the forced landing, the main landing gear was torn from the airframe, and the airplane sustained major structural damage. Examination revealed the airplane's engines failed due to fuel starvation. The pilot did not report any component failure before his forced landing in the field. He had flown only approximately three hours before experiencing a loss of power on both engines. He used the fuel from the auxiliary fuel tanks en route to the destination airport and switched the fuel selectors to the main tanks on final approach. Both the descent and before landing checklists require that the pilot switch the fuel selectors to 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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2001; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,340 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental 520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZEF Elkin NC at 12:10 pm
- Destination: X07 Lake Wales FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 06, 3,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 20 knots, gusting 7
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from BOW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.