N1455L

On June 27, 1999, about 1715 eastern daylight time, a Beech Sundowner A-23, N1455L, registered to a private individual, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed on approach to Moore County Airport, Southern Pines, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the commercial-rated flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot were not injured. The flight originated from Carthage, North Carolina, about 1 hour before the accident.

According to the CFI/airplane owner, he was giving dual instruction to the buyer of his airplane. They had made two normal approaches and landings, and they were on their third simulated engine failure approach to Moore County Airport's runway 05 when the accident happened. This particular approach had ended up being low an final, and as power was being applied to reach the runway, the engine failed to respond, and the pilot flying/ buyer relinquished airplane control to the CFI. The CFI decided their only option was an emergency landing to a field south of the runway, and the airplane collided with small trees, shedding the outer wing panels. Although the CFI/airplane owner called the event an "engine failure" in his written statement, he admits he ran the right tank dry in subsequent follow-up phone conversation, and stated that a more accurate statement would have been, "engine stoppage due to fuel starvation."

According to the FAA inspector, the CFI stated the fuel selector was on the right wing tank when the engine failed to respond. Neither pilot could remember using the checklist to confirm that the fuel selector was on the fullest tank before commencing the landing approach. Postcrash examination of the fuel system revealed that the right tank was empty and the left tank was about 1/2 full.