Cessna 550 accident near Wilmington, North Carolina, January 4, 2009
On January 4, 2009 at about 7:09 am local time, a Cessna 550, registered N815MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (IFR missed approach) near Wilmington, North Carolina (Wilmington International Airpo airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the crew's inadequate in-flight fuel monitoring.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2009 · about 7:09 am local time
- Place
- Wilmington, North Carolina · Wilmington International Airpo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 550 · all 550s on the register
- Registration
- N815MA · no longer on the register · serial 5500406
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a night, northbound, international overwater flight that paralleled the east coast of the southeast United States, the airplane encountered headwinds. Upon arrival at the intended destination, the weather was below forecasted conditions, resulting in multiple instrument approach attempts. After the first missed approach, the controller advised the crew that there was an airport 36 miles to the north with "much better" weather, but the crew declined, citing a need to clear customs. During the third missed approach, the left engine lost power, and while the airplane was being vectored for a fourth approach, the right engine lost power. Utilizing the global positioning system, the captain pointed the airplane toward the intersection of the airport's two runways. Approximately 50 feet above the ground, he saw runway lights, and landed. The captain attempted to lower the landing gear prior to the landing, but it would not extend due to a lack of hydraulic pressure from the loss of engine power, and the alternate gear extension would not have been completed in time. The gear up landing resulted in damage to the underside of the fuselage and punctures of the pressure vessel. The captain stated that the airplane arrived in the vicinity of the destination with about 1,000 pounds of fuel onboard or 55 minutes of fuel remaining. However, air traffic and cockpit voice recordings revealed that the right engine lost power about 14 minutes after arrival, and the left engine, about 20 minutes after arrival. Federal air regulations require, for an instrument flight rules flight plan, that an airplane carry enough fuel to complete the flight to the first airport of landing, fly from that airport to an alternate, and fly after that for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed. The loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion, with no preaccident mechanical anomalies noted to the airplane.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during approach (IFR missed approach) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (IFR missed approach)
- Landing gear not configured during emergency descent
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,914 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 147 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 5,986 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 18, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,717 hours in all; 82 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 1,454 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 24, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,123 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 10, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 13,300 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt And Whitnety Canada JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt And Whitnety Canada JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MDJB Santa Domingo at 3:20 am
- Destination: KILM Wilmington NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 06, 8,016 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 am from KILM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.