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| Photo: "Probable Cause" Youtube channel |
- Location: Metter, GA
- Accident Number: ERA26FA270
- Date & Time: July 13, 2026, 11:14 Local
- Registration: N55FD
- Aircraft: Beech 95-B55 (T42A)
- Injuries: 1 Fatal
- Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203376/pdf
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N55FD
On July 13, 2026, about 1114 eastern daylight time, a Beechcraft 95-B55, twin-engine airplane, N55FD, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Metter, Georgia. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Surveillance video provided by the John Edwin Jones Sr Field/Metter Municipal Airport (MHP), Metter, Georgia, showed that the accident airplane taxied to the self-serve fuel tank after which both engines were shut down. The pilot then refueled the airplane from the 100LL self-service system. Refueling records obtained from the MHP airport management showed the pilot purchased 114.42 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline. A surveillance video was obtained from an automotive gas station that abutted the airport property to the east. The video showed the pilot taxing before he departed from runway 28 at 1112.
Preliminary ADS-B data from a commercial data provider captured 4 data points after the airplane departed from MHP. The first was at 1112:54 and showed a ground speed of 89 knots at an altitude of 300 feet mean sea level (msl). The second data point was 1113:10 and showed a ground speed of 83 knots at an altitude of 400 feet msl. The third data point was 1113:26 and showed a ground speed of 82 knots at an altitude of 400 feet msl. The fourth and final data point was 1113:42 and showed a ground speed of 85 knots at an altitude of 400 feet msl. The accident site was located about 1,600 feet and 107° from the last ADS-B data point. The data showed that the airplane was airborne for about 1 minute and 50 seconds.
A pilot-rated witness observed the airplane’s departure from MHP. According to the witness, during the departure, he was concerned about a sound coming from the accident airplane during the takeoff roll. He described the sound as “choppy” and said he was concerned about the airplane’s longer than normal takeoff roll and the shallow climb. The witness did not observe the accident.
The accident site was approximately 1.3 miles southwest of MHP. The first identified impact point was in a tree approximately 30 ft above the ground. The second identified impact point was a larger tree that was broken at approximately 15 ft above the ground. The primary wreckage site was approximately 30 ft from the initial impact point, on a heading of 23° (true). The angle between the primary wreckage and the initial impact point on the tree was about 50°, consistent with a steep descent into terrain.
The airplane came to rest upright on a heading of 198° (true) and had been mostly consumed by a post-impact fire. All of the airplane's primary components were located at the primary wreckage site. Several pieces of wood with 45° cuts consistent with propeller strikes were found within the accident site.
Postaccident examination revealed that the airframe sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. The majority of the fuselage and the right wing had been consumed by a postimpact fire, while the left wing root was partially consumed by the fire. The nose cone had significant thermal damage, and there were no signs of aft crushing of the nose cone. The trailing edge of the left wing had impacted a tree at the accident site. The left wing tip displayed two indentations of the leading edge; however, there was no observed aft crushing damage to the rest of the leading edge. The right wing had been mostly consumed by the postimpact fire and the leading edge displayed crushing damage. The empennage remained partially attached to the fuselage and had some thermal damage; however, it remained mostly intact. The vertical stabilizer and rudder remained intact, and the vertical stabilizer displayed thermal discoloration and some melting of the plastic and rubber portions of the stabilizer. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator exhibited upward bending deformation at their ends. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were relatively undamaged.
Flight control continuity was established for the aileron, elevator, and rudder through breaks that were consistent with either the observed thermal damage or impact damage. All the control cables were continuous from their ends in the cockpit to their ends at their respective flight control bellcranks.
The left propeller remained attached to the crankshaft and displayed impact damage signatures. Both propeller blades were relatively straight, and there were no observed chordwise scratches or gouging. The right propeller remained attached to the crankshaft and displayed impact damage signatures. Both of the blades remained within the propeller hub. One propeller blade displayed significant S-bending deformation, twisting deformation, and polishing of the blade faces, as well as chordwise scratches. The other propeller blade displayed a small amount of twisting deformation near the blade tip as well as some polishing of the blade tip.
The left engine remained partially attached to the airframe engine truss; however, the truss had separated from the rest of the airframe. The engine exhibited impact-damage signatures, with most of the damage occurring to the rear accessories and the forward-right side of the engine. A large piece of wood, consistent with one of the impacted trees, was wedged into the cowling right air inlet. The crankcase remained intact and was undamaged. The top, No. 6 cylinder through bolt was dislodged, and the bolt was extended about an inch from the cylinder flange. The crankshaft propeller flange remained attached to the rest of the crankshaft, and there were no visible cracks observed in the flange. All six cylinders remained attached to the crankcase and exhibited impact damage signatures, with the most damaged cylinder being the No. 5 cylinder. The top spark plugs were removed, and the cylinders were examined utilizing a lighted borescope. Examination of the No. 2 cylinder revealed that the piston had released from the piston pin and had broken up into multiple small pieces. Small portions of the piston and piston rings remained in the cylinder, and the piston pin remained attached to the connecting rod. Inspection of the No. 4 and No. 6 cylinders with a borescope showed small impact marks in the valve heads and pistons consistent with foreign object damage. The No. 1, No. 3 and the No. 5 cylinders displayed normal operating and combustion signatures.
The oil pump was disassembled, and the gears contained a significant amount of metallic particles in the gears and the oil pump housing displayed scoring consistent with hard particle passage. The oil filter remained attached to the oil filter adapter; however, the adapter had impact separated from the oil pump assembly. The oil filter housing was cut open, and the filter pleats were visually inspected. The filter pleats contained a significant amount of metallic material within the pleats.
The right engine remained partially attached to the airframe through the engine truss, cables, wires, and hoses. The engine displayed impact damage signatures concentrated to the bottom of the engine and displayed significant thermal damage to the rear of the engine. The crankcase remained intact, and there were no signs of a catastrophic internal engine failure. The crankshaft was rotated manually, and continuity was established between the crankshaft, camshaft, connecting rods and associated components. All six cylinders remained attached to their cylinder bays and displayed varying degrees of thermal-damage signatures. The top spark plugs and rocker box covers were removed from the cylinders. The cylinders were examined using a lighted borescope. The cylinder walls, piston faces, and valve heads displayed normal operating and combustion signatures. During crankshaft rotation, all of the cylinders exhibited thumb compression and suction, and all of the overhead components (rocker arms, springs, and valves) operated normally. The overhead components displayed normal operating and lubrication signatures.
The oil filter remained attached to the oil filter adapter and displayed significant thermal damage. The filter was removed, and the housing was cut open. The filter pleats were thermally damaged; however, no metallic material was observed within them.
The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.
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