Beech C90 accident near Lecanto, Florida, July 26, 2018
On July 26, 2018 at about 9:55 pm local time, a 1973 Beech C90, registered N717X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Lecanto, Florida. It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to turn on the fuel transfer pumps in accordance with the published checklists, which resulted in a dual loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2018 · about 9:55 pm local time
- Place
- Lecanto, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C90 UNDESIGNAT, built 1973 · all C90s on the register
- Registration
- N717X · registry record · serial LJ-581
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that, before a short, cross-country, personal flight, he purchased 40 gallons of fuel; 20 gallons of fuel were added to each wing tank. The pilot estimated that, at the time of departure, the airplane had a total fuel load of about 130 gallons with 65 gallons in each wing tank. About 10 minutes after departure, the left engine's power surged. The pilot attempted to divert to a nearby airport, but the left engine lost all power during the approach, followed by the right engine losing all power. The pilot was not sure if the airplane could glide to the runway, so he chose to perform a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll, the right wing impacted a tree and was substantially damaged. The airplane was equipped with six fuel tanks; two interconnected tanks in each wing and one tank in each engine's nacelle. On each side of the airplane, fuel flowed from the respective wing tanks to the nacelle tank and then to the engine. Fuel would gravity feed from the wing tanks to the nacelle tanks; however, gravity feed did not work once each wing tank was depleted to about 28 gallons or below. At that point, the fuel transfer pumps (one for each wing/nacelle) must be on to keep the fuel moving to the nacelle tanks and ultimately the engines. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel transfer pumps were in the "off" position. No fuel was found in the nacelle tanks, and about 30 gallons of fuel were found in each wing tank. When the battery and fuel transfer pumps were turned on, fuel began to flow from each wing tank to its respective nacelle tank. Turning on the fuel transfer pumps is an After Starting and Taxi checklist item; therefore, it is unlikely that the pilot followed the checklist and that he forgot to turn the fuel transfer pumps on, which resulted in fuel starvation to both engines and their subsequent loss of power.
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 (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,620 hours in all; 172 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,555 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 20, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,287 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 2017; 172 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Walter M601E-115 (turboprop); 3,619 hours total
- Engine 2: Walter M601E-115 (turboprop); 3,619 hours total
- Operator: Lilsa Ka Llc
The flight
- Departed from: BKV Brooksville FL at 9:40 pm
- Destination: X60 Williston FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from CGC, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 ERA18TA203.