NTSB Factual Report

On September 21, 2003, at 2330 eastern daylight time, a Beech A90, N34HA, registered to and operated by Hawk Aviation LLC and operated by a commercial pilot, collided with the trees during an emergency landing at Summerville Airport, Summerville, South Carolina. The personal flight was conducted under then provisions of Title 14 Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot received minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight departed Barnwell County Airport, Barnwell, South Carolina, on September 21, 2003, at 2200.

According to the pilot, prior to takeoff, he had the airplane fueled with 20 gallons of fuel in each wing for the short cross-country flight. After takeoff the airplane climbed to an altitude of 9500 feet. During the downwind to the arrival airport the right engine quit. As the throttles were powered back an engine start was attempted and the right engine started to power back up. Shortly afterward both engines quit and the pilot made an emergency off-airport landing in a wooded area two miles east of the airport. .

Examination of the airplane revealed a 5-foot outboard section of the left and right wing were broken off, and the fuselage was buckled. Examination of the fuel system revealed that the fuel tanks were not beached, and that there was a small amount of residual fuel in the fuel tanks. An on-site functional check of the fuel system fuel pumps was conducted. The fuel pumps were operational and were check for fuel flow deliverance to the respective engine fuel control unit. No fuel was observed flowing to the respective engine. The maintaince logbooks for the airplane were not recovered for examination. The exact amount of fuel onboard the airplane at the time of the departure was not determined.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.