Beech 95 C-55 accident near Canby, Oregon, May 31, 2003
On May 31, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech 95 C-55, registered N660K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Canby, Oregon (Dietz Airpark airport). 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
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning resulting in fuel starvation and subsequent loss of power after takeoff. High vegetation was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Canby, Oregon · Dietz Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95 C-55 · all 95 C-55s on the register
- Registration
- N660K · no longer on the register · serial TE-34
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that the airplane experienced a dual engine failure just after takeoff from the 2,800-foot turf runway. Following the engine failure, the pilot attempted to land on the remaining runway, however, the airplane touched down in tall grass adjacent to the runway and slid to a stop. In a subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that he inadvertently initiated the takeoff with the fuel selectors in the auxiliary position. He reported that normally the airplane is operated (during the takeoff phase of flight) with the fuel selectors in the main tank position, but he became distracted during the preflight and failed to reconfigure the fuel system prior to takeoff. He further reported that the main fuel tanks contained sufficient fuel for the flight, however, the auxiliary tanks were almost empty. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft and reported that there were trace amounts of fuel in the aircraft's auxiliary fuel tanks.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer, foreign licence, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 668 in this make and model; 2 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,165 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 2002; 3.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OR40 Canby OR at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,800 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KUAO, 5 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.