ORLANDO, FL, USA
N555GC
BEECH 65
PLT REPORTED LEVEL AT 6,000 FT; NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED. RADAR DATA SHOWS THAT AFTER 5 MIN AT CRUISE FLT GROUNDSPEED BEGAN TO SLOW, AND AS SPEED REACHED 85 KTS (VMC IS 83 KTS) ACFT MADE A RAPID TURN TO THE LEFT AND THE SPEED DROPPED TO 74 KTS. RADAR CONTACT WAS THEN LOST. WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING AND SEEING ACFT WITH AN ENG SPUTTERING AND QUITTING, AT WHICH TIME NO ENG NOISE WAS AUDIBLE. ENG WOULD THEN RESTART, AND AT ONE POINT ACFT WAS OBSERVED INITIATING A CLIMB AFTER ENG START. ENG RESTARTED AND OBTAINED NEAR FULL POWER, AND A SHORT TIME LATER SOUND OF IMPACT WAS HEARD. THE LEFT ENG FUEL SERVO WAS FOUND CONTAMINATED WITH CORROSION AND DIRT, AND WOULD NOT ALLOW FUEL FLOW TO THE ENG. THE FUEL STRAINER FOR THIS ENG WAS INSTALLED BACKWARDS ALLOWING UNFILTERED FUEL TO ENTER THE ENG. THE LEFT PROPELLER WAS NOT FEATHERED AND HAD NO SIGNS OF ROTATION UNDER POWER. RIGHT ENG FUEL SERVO ALSO CONTAINED CORROSION & CONTAMINATION. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION.
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FEATHER THE PROPELLER TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER OF THE LEFT ENGINE. THE POWER LOSS WAS DUE TO AN IMPROPERLY MAINTAINED FUEL SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON(S).
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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