Beech 95-B55B accident near Chatham, Louisiana, October 8, 1992
On October 8, 1992 at about 2:33 am local time, a Beech 95-B55B, registered N153Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chatham, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INADVERTENT STALL AND SPIN. FACTORS WERE THE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, THE DARK NIGHT, AND HIS FAILURE TO USE THE BOOST PUMP FOR ENGINE RESTART.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1992 · about 2:33 am local time
- Place
- Chatham, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55B · all 95-B55Bs on the register
- Registration
- N153Q · no longer on the register · serial TC-761
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY MADE ONLY ONE NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AS THE ONLY RATED PILOT IN THE AIRPLANE. ANOTHER PILOT WHO USUALLY SERVED AS A CREW MEMBER REPORTED THAT DURING THE CRUISE PORTION OF THE SECOND LEG OF HIS CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT WOULD NORMALLY RUN THE ENGINES ON THE AUXILIARY TANKS UNTIL THEY WERE EMPTY AND THEN SWITCH TO THE MAIN FUEL TANKS AND AIR START THE ENGINES. THIS PROCEDURE REQUIRES THAT THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS BE IN THE 'ON' POSITION. THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE IN THE 'OFF' POSITION AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK HAD RUPTURED AND ONLY FOUR GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED. TWENTY SEVEN GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE LEFT MAIN TANK. EACH OF THE AUXILIARY TANKS CONTAINED LESS THAN ONE PINT OF FUEL. WITNESSES THREE MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED A DARK NIGHT. ENGINE TEST RUNS WERE PERFORMED ON BOTH ENGINES THROUGHOUT ALL POWER RANGES AND THERE WERE NO ANOMALIES FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. A REVIEW OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DATA REVEALED THAT THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND REPORTED THE AIRPLANE OUT OF CONTROL IN A FLAT SPIN. THE PILOT DID NOT REFUEL PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON THE SECOND LEG OF HIS NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 629 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 17 in the last 30 days; 558 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,427 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1992; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-E2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OM6 Batesville MS at 1:20 am
- Destination: BMT Beaumont TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:49 am from MLU, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.