Beech 58 accident near Pelham, Alabama, October 22, 1991
On October 22, 1991 at about 2:10 am local time, a Beech 58, registered N99CK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pelham, Alabama. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO CORRECT THE POSITION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR BEFORE TAKEOFF, AND HER INATTENTIVENESS TO FUEL CONSUMPTION DURING THE FLIGHT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION. FACTORS WERE THE NON-PERFORMANCE OF ENGINE OUT EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND THE DARK, NIGHT CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 1991 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Pelham, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N99CK · registry record · serial TH-1125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FUELED TO CAPACITY THEN FLOWN ON MULTIPLE FLIGHTS. AT THE LAST STOP 18 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS ADDED TO EACH WING TANK, WHICH GAVE 60 GALLONS TOTAL, THE PILOT SAID. AS THE PILOT PREPARED TO LEAVE, THE LEFT FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS DISCOVERED TO BE INOPERATIVE. THE PILOT TOLD A MECHANIC THAT SHE TRIED TO START THE LEFT ENGINE BY PLACING THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR ON THE LEFT ENGINE & THE RIGHT FUEL SELECTOR TO CROSSFEED. SINCE THE RIGHT BOOST PUMP IS DOWNSTREAM, BETWEEN THE RIGHT ENGINE & THE FUEL SELECTOR, IT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE FUEL TO THE LEFT ENGINE. THE LEFT BOOST PUMP WAS REPLACED & THE PILOT DEPARTED. APPROACHING THE DESTINATION THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER & CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE THROTTLE QUADRANT WAS NOT SET FOR AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT WING TANK. THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE LEFT TANK POSITION AND THE RIGHT FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE CROSSFEED POSITION, SO THAT BOTH ENGINES WOULD HAVE BEEN FED FROM THE LEFT WING 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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,435 hours in all; 742 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 3,396 as pilot in command; 2 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,646 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 1991; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-CB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Green Hills Aviation CO., INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PFN Panama City FL at 1:06 am
- Destination: BHM Birmingham AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from BHM, 14 miles away
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.