Save the Checks: Turboprop Hauling Flight Faces Harrowing Double-Engine Failure

After not being able to get in a word edgewise with ATC, without warning, the right engine quit.

Brian Thomson

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

[Illustration credit: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

On his first solo flight as PIC in an AC680W Turbo Commander, the pilot experienced a complete double engine failure mid-flight due to unexpected fuel exhaustion.
Facing multiple equipment failures (inop DME, partial landing gear, no flaps), low visibility, and challenging ATC vectors, the pilot skillfully executed an emergency belly landing, overshooting the runway but saving both himself and his mechanic.
The accident was caused by a deteriorated rubber seal on the aircraft's fuel cap flapper valve, which allowed fuel to siphon out during flight and resulted in false fuel gauge readings.
The pilot, nicknamed "Save the Checks," recovered from his injuries, went on to have a long, accident-free career, and stresses the importance of thorough maintenance and competent teamwork in aviation safety.

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I was flying for a check hauling company (which will remain anonymous), upgrading from Beech Barons to the AC680W Turbo Commander. The aircraft training consisted of a week (Monday through Friday) flying my normal route from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina, and back to Atlanta.

Friday evening, with a blessing from the company instructor, I was released to fly as PIC. The evening of Saturday, November 20, 1983, I would take my first flight as PIC in the Turbo Commander and single pilot.