Beech 95-A55 accident near Tuskeegee, Alabama, May 28, 1995
On May 28, 1995 at about 3:07 pm local time, a Beech 95-A55, registered N401W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tuskeegee, Alabama (Tuskegee Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning that resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 1995 · about 3:07 pm local time
- Place
- Tuskeegee, Alabama · Tuskegee Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-A55 · all 95-A55s on the register
- Registration
- N401W · registry record · serial TC-284
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES. AT THE DESTINATION, TWO VOR APPROACHES WERE EXECUTED, WITH EACH FOLLOWED BY A MISSED APPROACH. ON THE SECOND MISSED APPROACH, THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE, THEN ELECTED TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD. WITNESSES AT THE FIELD STATED THAT VISUAL CONDITIONS EXISTED BELOW THE CLOUDS. A SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER AT 2900 FEET MSL WAS REPORTED BY THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY, ABOUT 40 MILES EAST OF THE DESTINATION. THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE FOR THE DESTINATION APPROACH WAS 1020 FEET MSL. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED WITH ABOUT 74 GALLONS OF FUEL, IN THE MAIN TANKS, ONLY. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED NO FUEL IN THE AIRPLANE, AND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE ON THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST VERTICALLY NOSE DOWN, WITH TREES SUSPENDING THE AIRPLANE SO THAT THE NOSE BARELY TOUCHED THE GROUND.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 4,880 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TIX Titusville FL at 1:15 pm
- Destination: 06A
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 5,003 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:06 pm from CSG, 40 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.