Beech 65 accident near Fitzgerald, Georgia, January 18, 2003
On January 18, 2003 at about 6:07 pm local time, a Beech 65, registered N115HF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fitzgerald, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply that resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power in both engines. A factor was a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 2003 · about 6:07 pm local time
- Place
- Fitzgerald, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65 · all 65s on the register
- Registration
- N115HF · no longer on the register · serial LF56
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the flight was uneventful until he switched fuel tanks near Macon, Georgia. Several minutes after the fuel selectors were switched the pilot reported a loss of left engine power. The pilot declared an emergency and requested radar vectors to the nearest airport. While en route to the nearest airport, the right engine lost power. The pilot selected and open field and attempted a forced landing. During the forced landing, the nose wheel assembly collapsed, and the left wing collided with a tree. Both engines were test run after the accident and they operated without any anomalies. A total of sixty gallons of fuel was recovered from the airplane during the recovery from the accident site. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane before the accident. The post-accident examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,843 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,714 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 9, 2002; 160 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LZU Lawrenceville, GA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: VLD Valdosta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from TLH, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.