An FBO surveillance video showed that the Beech Baron 58P arrived at the FBO ramp at Lubbock Executive Airpark (F82) in Texas, about 1111. After the airplane came to a stop on the ramp, the engines were simultaneously shut down.
The pilot exited the airplane, along with two adults and two children. The pilot left the ramp and later returned to the airplane at 1116 to remove baggage.
A fuel truck then pulled up in front of the airplane to refuel the airplane, and the pilot again left the ramp.
The surveillance video showed the pilot walked out of the FBO building and onto the ramp toward the airplane about 1127 while holding a cell phone to his ear. He walked clockwise around the airplane while holding the cell phone, stopped behind the right wing root, then began walking in a counterclockwise direction. He stopped near the left engine while holding the cell phone and looking away from the airplane. Then he walked to the right front airplane door, which he entered about 1130. About 1131, he exited the airplane, stepped down behind the right wing, then reentered the airplane.
At 1132, the left propeller began to rotate, stopped, then began to rotate again. At 1133, the right propeller began to rotate. At 1135, the airplane taxied on the ramp, and at 1137, the airplane began its takeoff on Runway 35.
A witness saw the pilot walk around the airplane while talking on a cell phone before the airplane’s engines started. The witness added he did not see or hear a run-up of the airplane’s engines before takeoff.
The witness stated that the takeoff seemed like a normal takeoff, adding the plane lifted off about 2,200 feet down the runway. Shortly after liftoff, and while the airplane was about 20-50 feet above the runway, he looked away to fill fuel from the fuel truck and then heard an audible change in engine sound. The witness then looked up at the airplane and saw it in a left bank.
Another surveillance video recorded the airplane in a nose-down, left bank attitude before entering a left roll into an inverted attitude and hitting the ground.
The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The pilot died in the crash.
A post-crash inspection found the left cockpit fuel selector handle pointing to a position between OFF and CROSSFEED.
Disassembly of the left fuel selector valve assembly revealed the valve gear was in the OFF position.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to ensure a proper fuel selector position before takeoff, which resulted in a loss of left engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control after the loss of left engine power.
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This March 2023 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
The asymetrical thrust of 300 BHP engines on the Baron with the left critical engine failure is the pinnacle challenge of light twins.
I have a Dynon HDX which has a Check List feature which can be programed for the way you want it. I have revised it numerous of times adding and switching the order of items. I have it just the way I like it, However the check list is of no use if you don’t use it.
Complacency is a killer. Didn’t verify oil, didn’t sump the tanks, didn’t do a run up, most like.y didn’t even touch a checklist while talking on the phone. Sad….
History of tractor prop twins is, they want to kill you. And between rotation and 1000 AGL is what I was taught is the RED ZONE. Loss of an engine in this area, you have to pull the props to get control and then add back in gently to keep from a secondary torque roll. Hopefully you will be able to get enough rate of climb to come back around and land.
Sorry, not props, but throttles.