Beech 95-B55 accident near Williams, Arizona, October 30, 2003
On October 30, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech 95-B55, registered N8322N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Williams, Arizona (H.A. Clark Memorial Field Airp). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power in the right engine due to fuel exhaustion, caused by the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to refuel the airplane. Also causal was his failure to feather the right propeller and to maintain directional control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Williams, Arizona · H.A. Clark Memorial Field Airp · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 · all 95-B55s on the register
- Registration
- N8322N · no longer on the register · serial TC1076
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane lost power in the right engine about 150 feet above ground level in the takeoff initial climb, veered to the right, and impacted trees and terrain. The pilot was in the process of buying the airplane and conducted a preflight inspection. During the preflight, he noted that the fuel appeared to be low and commented on the low fuel state to the owner. According to the pilot, the owner replied that there was enough fuel on board for several flights around the pattern. The pilot did not add any fuel to the tanks. The pilot told Federal Aviation Administration inspectors that he did not attempt to feather the right engine's propeller after the loss of power. The pilot recalled not smelling any fuel around the airplane after the accident. First responders to the accident site reported no leaking fuel, and no odor of fuel around the airplane. Aircraft recovery personnel drained a total of 2 gallons of fuel from the airplane. A visual inspection and continuity check were conducted on the right engine. No preimpact anomalies were noted that would have precluded the right engine from producing power.
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: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2003; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P32 Williams AZ at 10:00 pm
- Destination: P32
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,992 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 29 knots, gusting 39
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from FLG, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.