Beech 90 accident near St. George, South Carolina, November 27, 1999
On November 27, 1999 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Beech 90, registered N866A, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. George, South Carolina (St. George Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper preflight planning/preparation and failure to ensure adequate fuel to safely complete the flight resulting in fuel exhaustion and engine failure, and his inadequate compensation for the wind that resulted a forced landing short of the runway and substantial damage to the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 1999 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- St. George, South Carolina · St. George Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 90
- Registration
- N866A · no longer on the register · serial LJ-201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was at 12,500 feet, preparing for a four-mile parachute jump run, when he had initial indications of a power/fuel problem. He said he told the skydivers to exit, then initiated a descending spiral to land, during which time the fuel flow became erratic. He said both engines ceased operating at 3,000 feet, and he did not account for the northwest wind, and crashed short of the runway. The FAA inspector who conducted a postcrash examination of the accident airplane said that he found no usable fuel in the tanks, and there were no other indications of the presence of fuel at the accident site. Detailed examinations of the fuel systems and both engines showed that residual fuel remained, and revealed no indications of pre-accident malfunction or mechanical failure.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,366 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 4,241 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,260 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 10, 1999; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6J2 at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,201 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Observation at 5:56 pm from CHS, 30 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.