Beagle B206 SERIES 2 accident near Perry, Florida, September 21, 2012
On September 21, 2012 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 1969 Beagle B206 SERIES 2, registered N26GW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Perry, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and the right engine’s complete loss of power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper configuration of the airplane following the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2012 · about 4:45 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Perry, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beagle B206 SERIES 2, built 1969
- Registration
- N26GW · registry record · serial B206-070
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, before the flight, he performed a preflight inspection on the twin-engine airplane, during which he checked the fuel quantity onboard the airplane by looking at the fuel computer, which displayed 65 gallons. He then added 20 gallons of fuel to the left wing fuel tank and 25 gallons to the right wing fuel tank. He then entered the added amount of fuel into the fuel computer for a total of 110 gallons, which was consistent with the fuel gauges, which display fuel in pounds and which indicated that 275 pounds of fuel was in the left tank and 350 pounds of fuel was in the right tank. This amount should have been sufficient for the flight. After departure, the pilot turned toward his destination and climbed the airplane to about 3,000 feet above sea level. Later, the right engine began to surge, and "after going through the checklist" the pilot elected to do a precautionary landing. The pilot asked air traffic control for the closest airfield; however, the pilot, after seeing nothing but trees, decided to land on a road with the landing gear in the up position. During the landing, the left wingtip struck a tree. Examination of the wreckage revealed that both propellers were in the feathered position, the wing flaps were up, the landing gear was up, and the wing structure and both firewalls were substantially damaged. Further examination revealed that the left wing fuel tank contained about 22 gallons of fuel, and the right wing fuel tank was almost devoid of fuel. Thus, it is likely that the pilot did not monitor the fuel balance and allowed an imbalance between the two fuel tanks to occur, which resulted in the right engine being starved of fuel. This could have been remedied at any time during the cruise portion of the flight if the pilot had opened the cross-feed valve for the right engine, which would have allowed the right engine to feed fuel from the left tank and would have allowed him to balance the fuel load. Examination of the cockpit switches revealed that the airplane had not been properly configured by the pilot for one-engine-inoperative flight per the guidance contained in the operating manual. If this had been done, the the airplane could have continued to fly at altitude, allowing the pilot to reach a diversionary airport and execute a one-engine-inoperative landing.
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 starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the fuel system
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,560 hours in all; 1,020 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 10, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,190 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 23, 2012; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental GTSIO-520C (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental GTSIO-520C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 09FA Lake Placid FL at 3:40 pm
- Destination: TLH Tallahassee FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from 40J, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
15 documents, released by the NTSB on August 13, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N26GW on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beagle 5 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520C 386 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520C 386 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Placid Lakes Airport · departed from
- Tallahassee International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 985 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,702 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12LA571.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.