Witness Accounts
Two witnesses, located about 15 miles northeast of the crash site, reported hearing and seeing an airplane flying at low altitude and low airspeed.
Discovery
The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) found the aircraft, a Beech 95-B55 registered as N5678K, in an open pasture on the morning following the incident.
Communication
No radio calls from the airplane were recorded before the accident.
Fuel System Examination
Examination of the fuel tanks revealed the right auxiliary tank contained approximately 1 quart of green fuel. The left main and auxiliary tanks were found dry, as was the right main fuel tank. No fuel spillage was observed on the ground or in trees at the crash site, and no breaches were found throughout the fuel system. The fuel supply lines were clear and unobstructed. Visual examination of the engine compartment and airframe showed no evidence of fuel stains or leakage.
Operational Details
The pilot's son reported that the company had a policy to "top off" each aircraft with fuel after every flight. The load manifest for this flight indicated 74 gallons of fuel in the main tanks and 60 gallons in the auxiliary tanks. The Beech 95-B55 has a total fuel capacity of 142 gallons, of which 136 gallons are usable. However, no record was available to determine when the airplane was last refueled.
Flight Profile
The direct flight distance from the departure point to the crash site was 469 statute miles. Calculations showed the flight duration would have been about 2.3 hours, requiring approximately 57.5 gallons of fuel.