On April 6, 1986, a Beech 65-90 (registration N58KA) operated by James Watkins was involved in an aviation accident near Fort Pierce, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from the pilots' failure to operate fuel transfer switches to transfer fuel from the wing tanks into the nacelle tanks. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A flight experienced loss of power in both engines due to fuel starvation. The pilots failed to operate fuel transfer switches, and both lacked adequate training on the King Air.
Event Description
During the flight, both engines experienced a loss of power. The cause was fuel starvation: the engines were not receiving fuel because the nacelle tanks were empty. The aircraft's engines are directly fed from the nacelle tanks, which are replenished by transferring fuel from the wing tanks via dedicated switches in the cockpit. The pilots failed to operate these switches, leading to the fuel starvation condition.
Pilot Qualifications
The pilot in command had accumulated only 16 total hours of flight time in the King Air and had not attended any ground school for that aircraft type. The pilot seated in the left seat had recently obtained his multiengine rating and was on the flight to gain additional flight time. This pilot had no prior flight experience in the King Air and had not received any formal training on the aircraft's systems.
Probable cause
Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from the pilots' failure to operate fuel transfer switches to transfer fuel from the wing tanks into the nacelle tanks.