Beech D95A accident near Mount Sterling, Kentucky, April 24, 1998
On April 24, 1998 at about 8:23 pm local time, a Beech D95A, registered N479AM, was destroyed in an accident near Mount Sterling, Kentucky (Mount Sterling airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Was the failure of the flight instructor to feather the engine in a timely manner. Factors were improper placement of the fuel selector valve by the student and failure of the flight instructor to adequately supervise its placement.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 1998 · about 8:23 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Sterling, Kentucky · Mount Sterling · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D95A · all D95As on the register
- Registration
- N479AM · registry record · serial TD-703
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a go-around on, the airplane yawed nose left and entered a descending left turn. The airplane struck the ground in an open field to the left of the runway and burned. Examination revealed the left fuel selector was OFF, and the right fuel selector was ON. The fuel lines were intact and about 5 ounces of fuel was found in the fuel line to the right engine, and about 1/2 ounce of fuel was found in the fuel line to the left engine. The flight instructor reported the pilot receiving instruction had checked the fuel selectors as they entered the traffic pattern and he verified their position. When asked why he did not feather the propeller on the left engine, the flight instructor reported he was too busy trying to fly the airplane.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,480 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command; 1,735 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,940 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 8, 1997; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-36-BIB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Kentucky Airmotive INC.
The flight
- Departed from: IOB at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.