Beech B90 accident near Longmont, Colorado, January 24, 1997
On January 24, 1997 at about 3:50 am local time, a Beech B90, registered N76GM, was destroyed in an accident near Longmont, Colorado. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the pilot to refuel the airplane, resulting in fuel exhaustion. Factors were the pilot's reference to similar but different aircraft performance charts, and the operator's failure to provide the pilot with the proper performance charts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 1997 · about 3:50 am local time
- Place
- Longmont, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B90 · all B90s on the register
- Registration
- N76GM · registry record · serial LJ-498
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had made a refueling stop at Vandalia, Illinois. She did not observe the refueling process, but the FBO also operated a King Air and she felt he knew the proper procedure to follow. The airplane was reportedly serviced with 235 gallons of Jet-A fuel (total capacity is 384 gallons). The pilot flew between 7,500 and 10,500 feet. When the airplane was 45 minutes from its destination, the fuel transfer pump lights illuminated, indicating the wing tanks were empty. The nacelle tank gauges registered 3/4 full and the pilot determined she had sufficient fuel to complete the flight. When the airplane was three minutes from its destination, both engines flamed out and the pilot made a wheels up forced landing. When the salvage company recovered the airplane, they reported finding no evidence of fuel aboard. The pilot was provided and used performance charts for the Beech 65-A90 instead of the Beech B90.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,310 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,225 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,530 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 22, 1997; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mile-Hi Skydiving Center, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: VLA Vandalia IL
- Destination: 2V2
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 290° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 am from BJC, 16 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.