Beech 58P accident near Hanksville, Utah, January 14, 1993
On January 14, 1993 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Beech 58P, registered N550TH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hanksville, Utah (Hanksville Airport). It was a ferry 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
AN IMPROPER FUEL SELECTOR VALVE POSITION, FUEL STARVATION, AND INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION. FACTORS INCLUDE SOFT, ROUGH TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 1993 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hanksville, Utah · Hanksville Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N550TH · registry record · serial TJ-385
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISING FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE GAUGES INDICATED A FUEL IMBALANCE. AS THE IMBALANCE INDICATION BECAME GREATER, THE PILOT BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR A SUITABLE NEARBY ALTERNATE. FINDING THE NEAREST ALTERNATE TO BE BELOW APPROACH MINIMUMS, AND BEING CONVINCED THAT THE IMBALANCE WAS ONLY AN INDICATION PROBLEM, HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE ON TO THE ORIGINAL DESTINATION. WHEN BOTH ENGINES QUIT, THE LEFT GAUGE WAS AT 0, AND THE RIGHT GAUGE WAS INDICATING NEAR FULL. DURING THE RESTART ATTEMPTS, THE PILOT FAILED TO SELECT EITHER ENGINE TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, WHICH WAS LATER FOUND TO CONTAIN FUEL. WHEN EXAMINED AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE POSITION OF BOTH FUEL VALVES CORRECTLY MATCHED THE POSITION OF THE CORRESPONDING FUEL SELECTOR LEVER. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO MALFUNCTION, DAMAGE, OR DISCREPANCIES WITH EITHER VALVE.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,758 hours in all; 211 in this make and model; 151 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 3,008 as pilot in command; 456 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 8, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O41 Woodland CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: PUB Pueblo CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.