Beech 95 accident near Tucson, Arizona, January 1, 2003
On January 1, 2003 at about 7:12 pm local time, a Beech 95, registered N8212D, was destroyed in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Ryan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss power in the right engine due to an excessively rich mixture that was the result of the pilot's failure to secure the priming control prior to takeoff. Also causal was the pilot's failure to follow the single engine procedures specified in the operating manual for this aircraft, and, his failure to attain and maintain the correct airspeeds for single engine operation, and to maintain directional control. A factor was the pilot's lack of total experience in multiengine aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2003 · about 7:12 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Ryan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95 · all 95s on the register
- Registration
- N8212D · registry record · serial TD-8
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered and rolled to the right after liftoff, and then went nose first into the ground. As the airplane took off, witnesses on the airport heard an engine "pop", which sounded to them like a backfire. The right wing dropped and then the airplane's nose went down and into the ground. Controllers in the Air Traffic Control Tower observed the airplane liftoff and begin a turn to the right at midfield, though they thought that the altitude, which they estimated at 60 to 80 feet, was very low. The airplane also appeared to be going slow as the airplane kept turning to the right and the nose pitched continuously up. The controllers then saw the right wing drop followed by the nose as the airplane went straight down. The landing gear was in the down and locked position, and the flaps were in the up position. The rudder trim was in the neutral position. Examination of the left engine and propeller found signatures consistent with engine rotation, and the left propeller was not feathered. Internal evidence in the right propeller revealed that it was operating at a high blade angle consistent with operation at low speed. The right engine spark plugs for cylinders 1, 2, and 4 were sooty and black, while the plugs in cylinder 3 were gray. The starting primer system is plumbed to cylinders 1, 2, and 4; the cockpit control for the right engine primer system was unlocked and extended about 1/4-inch. The pilot obtained his multiengine rating 3 weeks prior to the accident. and had a total of 20 hours in multiengine airplanes, which were all in this make and model. The owner's manual noted that liftoff airspeed was 85 while the safe single engine speed was 100 miles per hour (mph) indicated airspeed (IAS), which is still below best single engine rate of climb airspeed. The manual specified that at 100 mph or greater, the pilot could follow normal single engine procedures. Below this airspeed, the pilot had to attain it either through altitude loss or by making a landing. The manual instructed the pilot to land straight ahead and stop with loss of power in one engine below 90 mph at 100 feet, or below 100 mph at 50 feet.
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: 630 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 527 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,726 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2002; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYN Tucson AZ at 7:12 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6R, 5,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from TUS, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.