Beech 95-B55 accident near Brownsville, Tennessee, August 23, 1997
On August 23, 1997 at about 5:10 am local time, a Beech 95-B55, registered N5678K, was destroyed in an accident near Brownsville, Tennessee. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight, and his improper in-flight planning/decision, which led to fuel exhaustion and a forced landing at night on unprepared terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, and the lack of a suitable area for an emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1997 · about 5:10 am local time
- Place
- Brownsville, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 · all 95-B55s on the register
- Registration
- N5678K · no longer on the register · serial TC-762
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Two witnesses about 15 miles northeast of the crash site, reported they heard and saw an airplane at low altitude and low airspeed. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) found Beech 95-B55, N5678K, in an open pasture on the following morning. No radio calls were recorded from the airplane before the accident. Examination of the fuel tanks revealed the right auxiliary tank contained about 1 quart of green fuel, and the left main and auxiliary tanks were found dry, as was the right main fuel tank. There was no fuel spillage observed at the crash site, either on the ground, or trees, and there were no breaches found throughout the fuel system. The fuel supply lines were found clear and unobstructed. Overall visual examination of the engine compartment and airframe did not reveal any evidence of fuel stains or fuel leakage. The pilot's son reported that company had a policy to 'top off' each aircraft with fuel after each flight. The load manifest for this flight indicated that there was '74 gallons' of fuel in the main tanks, and '60 gallons' of fuel in the auxiliary tanks. The 95-B55, had a total fuel capacity of 142 gallons, of which 136 gallons were usable fuel. However, no record was available to determine when the airplane was last refueled. A direct flight from the departure point to the crash site was 469 statute miles. Calculations showed the duration of flight would have been about 2.3 hours, and would have required about 57.5 gallons of fuel.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,500 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,810 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IKU Ankeny IA at 2:50 am
- Destination: TCL Tuscaloosa AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from MEM, 40 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.
Other NTSB records under N5678K 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.