Beech D17S accident near Arco, Idaho, July 24, 1999
On July 24, 1999 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Beech D17S, registered N217SD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arco, Idaho (Arco-Butte County 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
Fuel starvation which resulted in a loss of power. The pilot's improper management of fuel was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1999 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Arco, Idaho · Arco-Butte County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D17S · all D17Ss on the register
- Registration
- N217SD · registry record · serial 3098
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just completed a flyby at a local air show and was preparing to land. While on final approach to runway 24, the pilot crabbed the aircraft to compensate for a cross wind. During the crab, the aircraft's engine began to run rough and eventually quit. The fuel quantity gauge for the main fuel tank (the selected fuel tank) read one-quarter full. The pilot switched from the main fuel tank to the full auxiliary tank and cycled the primer, but was unable to restart the engine. The aircraft touched down on the edge of a gravel pit, approximately 200 feet short of the runway and nosed over. The pilot estimated that the aircraft's main fuel tank contained approximately one gallon of fuel at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft at the time of the accident. There was no evidence to indicate a preexisting fuel leak.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,132 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,039 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1999; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,250 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R985-AN-14B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AOC at 4:45 pm
- Destination: AOC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 6,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°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.
Other NTSB records under N217SD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.