Beech 95-C55 accident near Cocoa, Florida, December 8, 2025
On December 8, 2025 at about 10:37 pm local time, a 1966 Beech 95-C55, registered N95KC, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Cocoa, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew’s failure to adequately manage the available fuel onboard the airplane, which resulted in a total loss of 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
- December 8, 2025 · about 10:37 pm local time
- Place
- Cocoa, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-C55, built 1966 · all 95-C55s on the register
- Registration
- N95KC · registry record · serial TE-203
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and the flight instructor were flying the multi-engine airplane in preparation for the pilot’s multi-engine practical test the following day. Prior to departing, the pilots thought that the airplane had a total of 65 gallons of fuel onboard based solely on their observations of the airplane’s cockpit fuel quantity gauges. The pilot specifically stated that the main fuel tanks indicated 1/2-full and the auxiliary fuel tanks indicated 3/4-full. They departed and began a series of maneuvers and scenarios, and neither pilot selected the auxiliary fuel tanks for that portion of the flight. After about 1.3 hours of flight time, and while on approach back to the departure airport, the pilot reported that at about 1,500 ft agl, the airplane began to lose altitude and he perceived that the airplane’s engines had lost power. Shortly after, the flight instructor took control of the airplane and they attempted to restore engine power. The flight instructor pitched for best glide and began to search for a suitable landing location. During the landing attempt on an interstate, the airplane contacted a passenger vehicle and came to rest between the center lanes of the highway. The airplane’s fuselage was substantially damaged during the accident sequence. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed all of the fuel tanks were intact and the fuel caps remained secured. The cockpit fuel gauges indicated that both main fuel tanks were empty and that the right and left auxiliary fuel tanks contained 1/4 and 1/2 tank, respectively; a total of 23 gallons. About 1 pint of fuel was recovered from each of the main fuel tanks. Given this information, it is likely that the simultaneous loss of engine power to both of the airplane’s engines was the result of fuel starvation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach
- Fuel starvation during approach defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Flight crew
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 291 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 180 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 14, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,256 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 257 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 1,188 as pilot in command; 869 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 25, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 3: Continental Aerospace Technolo IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 4: Continental Aerospace Technolo IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COI Merrit Island FL at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from XMR, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KXMR 082255Z AUTO 01010KT 10SM BKN030 OVC100 19/15 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP145 T01880153
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Front view of the airplane on-scene
Photograph 2 – Fuel Needle Gauges with the Airplane Power OnThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on June 17, 2026. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Flight Instructor) | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Instructor | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector Correspondence | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 8 | Dash Camera | video | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ERA26LA065.