Beech B95A accident near Fountain, Florida, April 23, 1999
On April 23, 1999 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Beech B95A, registered N6600, was destroyed in an accident near Fountain, Florida (Panama City-Bay CO Int'L airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane that resulted in a loss of engine power because of fuel vent blockage and his selection of unsuitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1999 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fountain, Florida · Panama City-Bay CO Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B95A · all B95As on the register
- Registration
- N6600 · no longer on the register · serial TD-506
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before departure on a ferry flight, both previously damaged propellers were removed and replaced. An incorrect propeller was installed on the left position by a person with a revoked mechanic's certificate. The flight departed with full fuel tanks, all gears braced down, and no radios. After takeoff while flying with another airplane, the pilot motioned by hand signals that he needed to land. The pilot landed in a field with no flaps and after rolling approximately 300 feet, the airplane became airborne, then collided with several trees. Post accident examination revealed that the right propeller was feathered. Examination of the fuel vent system revealed all recovered fuel vents were blocked; an insect resembling a wasp was found in a section of the left fuel vent line. Examination of the flight controls, engines, and propellers revealed no evidence of pre-impact failure or mechanical malfunction. The No. 1 top spark plug of the left engine was missing. The pilot's airman certificate was suspended for 180 days in February 1996, for operating an airplane with incorrect propellers installed. The permanent maintenance records did not contain an entry that the airplane was inspected and found to be safe for the intended ferry flight.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 226 hours in all; 205 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,042 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 16, 1998; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PFN Panama City FL at 10:34 pm
- Destination: 0A4 Johnson City TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from PFN, 25 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.