Beech A45 accident near Hollister, California, February 22, 2014
On February 22, 2014 at about 9:45 pm local time, a 1958 Beech A45, registered N666, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Hollister, California (Hollister Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel starvation and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection and improper fuel management.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2014 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hollister, California · Hollister Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A45 NO SERIES, built 1958 · all A45s on the register
- Registration
- N666 · registry record · serial GM-141
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, before the accident flight, he conducted a preflight inspection but that he did not verify the fuel level in each fuel tank. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, and the pilot then performed a 180-degree turn toward a field adjacent to the runway. About halfway through the turn, he realized that insufficient altitude existed to complete the turn, and he subsequently initiated a forced landing on a road. The airplane landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Wreckage recovery personnel reported that they removed less than 2 gallons of fuel from the left wing fuel tank and more than 10 gallons of fuel from the right wing fuel tank. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left wing fuel tank. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Fuel starvation during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,690 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,557 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 21, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 2014; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors O-470-13A (piston); 5,848 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CVH Hollister CA at 9:45 pm
- Destination: Palo Alto CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,150 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KSNS, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR14LA117.