Beech C-50 accident near Ford, Virginia, April 19, 1998
On April 19, 1998 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Beech C-50, registered N377B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ford, Virginia. It was a personal flight 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
A loss of engine power simultaneously on both engines as reported by the pilot, for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1998 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ford, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-50 · all C-50s on the register
- Registration
- N377B · registry record · serial CH-305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying an airplane he had purchased 18 days prior, from Florida to his home airport in Virginia. On one leg, the airplane's navigational and communications equipment failed and the pilot purchased a handheld global positioning system (GPS) receiver for navigation. While en route the pilot was unable to locate his proposed refueling stop and after 35 to 40 minutes of searching for the airport, his GPS receiver failed due to low battery power. The pilot stated, he was at 2,500 feet AGL, when the airplane's left and right engines simultaneously lost power, and he performed a forced landing to a field. Examination of the wreckage revealed 30 minutes to 1 hour of fuel remained. A 10 to 15 foot long power cable was wrapped around the propeller hub of the left engine. According to an FAA Inspector, propeller ground strikes indicated at least one engine was operating at the time of the accident and the airplane was removed from the accident site by the pilot before it could be examined further. The pilot reported over 3,600 hours of total flight experience, of which about 25 hours were multi-engine aircraft and 10 hours were in make and model.
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
- Flight time: 3,635 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 3,476 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 17, 1997; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 55J Fernandina FL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: W32 Clinton MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:40 pm from PTB, 18 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.