Beech E18S accident near Xenia, Ohio, May 1, 1993
On May 1, 1993 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Beech E18S, registered N665M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Xenia, Ohio. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 1993 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Xenia, Ohio
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E18S · all E18Ss on the register
- Registration
- N665M · registry record · serial BA-421
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, BOTH ENGINES LOST POWER. THE PILOT SAID HE SELECTED DIFFERENT FUEL TANKS, BUT COULD NOT RESTART THE ENGINES. HE SUBSEQUENTLY MADE A WHEELS-UP FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD BELOW HIS FLIGHT PATH. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND THAT THERE WAS 4.1 GALS IN BOTH THE FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANKS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED A COMBINED TOTAL OF ABOUT 5 GALS IN THE FORWARD LEFT AND RIGHT TANKS. THE OTHER FOUR TANKS WERE EMPTY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD LOST TRACK OF THE FLIGHTS FLOWN THAT DAY AND DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE '...RAN THE AIRPLANE OUT OF FUEL.' ACCORDING TO BEECH, ALL FUEL IN THE AIRPLANE IS USABLE EXCEPT FOR A COMBINED 6 GALS IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT FORWARD 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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,803 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 1992; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985-14B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skydive Greene CO INC
The flight
- Departed from: I20 at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from DAY, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.