Beech F33 accident near Prescott, Arizona, February 18, 1999
On February 18, 1999 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Beech F33, registered N8253C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Prescott, Arizona. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 1999 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Prescott, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F33 · all F33s on the register
- Registration
- N8253C · registry record · serial CE-1546
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was in cruise flight at 8,500 feet mean sea level (msl) when the engine began to run rough. He verified the engine power controls were in their normal positions. Then the engine quit, and he noted the fuel pressure was reading zero. He turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and tried the restart procedure. Fuel pressure was still zero and the engine was wind milling at 1,600 rpm. He switched tanks and kept the auxiliary fuel pump on. The restart procedure was tried again, but fuel pressure remained zero. He attempted a glide to a dirt landing strip but had insufficient altitude and landed several hundred feet short in rough terrain; the nose gear collapsed when it encountered a ditch. Fuel quantity was verified on scene with the left tank full and the right tank at the bottom of the filler neck. The airframe and engine were examined following recovery and a 5-gallon fuel supply was attached to the right wing fuel system. The fuel selector valve was checked and operated normally. The boost pump was operated and the fuel pressure was observed in the normal range. The engine was primed, started, and run through the complete power range. A 50-rpm drop was observed when each magneto was checked at 1,700 rpm. Normal fuel flows were observed and leaning of the mixture was normal. No mechanical problems were encountered during the engine run and the engine shut down normally.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 112 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,377 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1999; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GYR Goodyear AZ at 1:40 pm
- Destination: PSP Palm Springs CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PRC, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N8253C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.