Beech 65 accident near Sidney, Nebraska, July 9, 2019
On July 9, 2019 at about 2:13 pm local time, a Beech 65, registered N62069, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sidney, Nebraska (Sidney Municipal airport). It was a positioning 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper maintenance of the outboard left wing, which allowed electrical arcing and leaking of the fuel sending unit and subsequently resulted in ignition of fuel vapors and an explosion of the outboard left wing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 2019 · about 2:13 pm local time
- Place
- Sidney, Nebraska · Sidney Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65 · all 65s on the register
- Registration
- N62069 · registry record · serial 62-3866
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had topped off the outboard fuel tanks before departure. While taxiing for takeoff, the stall warning horn activated, and the pilot pulled the circuit breaker to disable the horn. During the takeoff roll, the pilot heard a loud bang, observed significant damage to the outboard left wing, and aborted the takeoff. While taxiing back to the ramp, the pilot noted smoke coming from the top of the left wing. The pilot taxied the airplane to the corner of the ramp, performed an abbreviated shutdown, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and evacuated. The pilot did not observe any additional smoke or fire and did not discharge the fire extinguisher. Examination of the airplane revealed fire and thermal damage near the wing root area, including melted and burned wiring. Due to some loose installation screws, a fuel leak was found coming from the fuel sending unit, which had recently been replaced. In addition, a wiring harness was found pinched between a metal clamp and a wing rib. Metal-to-metal contact was noted between exposed wiring and the wing rib. Based on the fuel leak in the left wing and the pinched wiring, it is likely fuel vapors ignited and caused an explosion of the outboard left wing. A few months before the accident, the outboard left wing was replaced. The operator's director of maintenance stated that the electrical wiring in the wing was not inspected during the wing replacement.
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
What happened, in order
- Explosion (non-impact) during takeoff defining event
- Aircraft structural failure during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Electrical pwr sys wiring › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity sensor › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,155 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 6,301 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 16, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,933 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 26, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-720-A1B (piston); 20,199 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-720-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Bemidji Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KSNY Sidney NE at 2:13 pm
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 6,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N62069 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN19LA215.