Beech BE24 accident near Beckley, West Virginia, July 26, 1998
On July 26, 1998 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Beech BE24, registered N9711L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beckley, West Virginia. It was a personal 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
The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply in that the fuel selector was selected to the improper fuel tank, which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1998 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Beckley, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE24
- Registration
- N9711L · no longer on the register · serial MC-124
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in cruise flight, approximately 15 minutes after departure, when the engine started to surge and sputter. The pilot turned to the departure airport and initiated a climb. He said he changed the fuel selector from the right tank position to the left, but '...nothing happened.' He moved the fuel selector back to the right tank, and selected a golf course for a forced landing site where the airplane struck trees and came to rest in a pond. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right fuel tank was completely empty, not contaminated by water, and that the fuel selector was in the right tank position. The left tank contained approximately 27 gallons of fuel and an unknown quantity of water. The pilot reported he had 30 gallons of fuel on board at takeoff. The fuel system was examined and no evidence of fuel was found in the engine-driven fuel pump, fuel injector, or flow divider manifold. No evidence of fuel was found in the fuel line to the fuel pressure gauge. Examination of records revealed the airplane's most recent fuel service was for 23 gallons of fuel and that the airplane accumulated approximately 2 hours of flight time after the service.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,600 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BKW WV at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from BKW, 3 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.