# Accident 19970306002179A: Beech E18S, Elkins, WV, March 6, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 6, 1997, 00:21 local time
- Place: Elkins, WV
- Damage: Destroyed
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.9241° N, 79.8543° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Elkins, WV, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9241&lon=-79.8543&mi=10
- Aircraft: N54BT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N54BT-1998-05-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech E18S (registry code 1151006, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-e18s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH E18S
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC97FA057](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97FA057) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970306002179A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT AT 10000FT SENT OUT TWO MAYDAY CALLS, RADAR/RADIO CONTACT LOST, WRECKAGE LOCATED IN WOODED AREA. BURNED. (.4) THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN DELAYED DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER OVER THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING RECEIVED BY THE PILOT INCLUDED AIRMETS AND SIGMETS FOR ICING AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, POSSIBLE TORNADOES, HAIL TO 2 INCHES, AND WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS NEAR THE GROUND. THE BEECH 18 WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A STORM SCOPE OR WEATHER RADAR. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, A PASSENGER STATED TO A WITNESS THAT THE WEATHER WAS 'REALLY REALLY BAD,' AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO 'DO SOME DEVIATING TO GET AROUND IT.' AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE CRUISED AT 10,000 FEET UNEVENTFULLY FOR 1 HOUR AND 50 MINUTES, WHEN A CENTER CONTROLLER ADVISED THAT RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST, WHICH THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED. THE NEXT AND LAST TRANSMISSION OCCURRED 13 MINUTES LATER WHEN THE CONTROLLER RECEIVED A 'MAYDAY' RADIO TRANSMISSION THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS 'GOING DOWN.' THE LAST RADAR TARGET REVEALED A 6,000 FOOT PER MINUTE RATE OF DESCENT. TRAINING RECORDS REVEALED THE PILOT, ALSO THE COMPANY CHIEF PILOT, HAD FLOWN SOLO 6.3 HOURS IN THE BEECH 18 AND CREDITED IT AS DUAL FLI                                    GHT INSTRUCTION. HE THEN PASSED A PART 135 EVALUATION WITH THE FAA PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS INSPECTOR (POI), WHICH LASTED 1.6 HOURS. THE NEXT DAY THE POI ISSUED THE PILOT CHECK AIRMEN AUTHORIZATION FOR THE BEECH 18, ALL MODELS. ACCORDING TO THE POI, THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT APPROVED FOR PART 135 OPERATIONS; HOWEVER, THE COMPANY HAD A BOGUS APPROVAL FOR THE AIRPLANE, SIGNED BY THE POI, THAT ALLOWED THE COMPANY TO APPLY TO CANADIAN AUTHORITIES FOR AUTHORIZATION TO OPERATE IN CANADA. THE BOGUS APPROVAL HAD BEEN USED TO JUSTIFY THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC97FA057](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97FA057), Mar 6, 1997: Beech E-18S (N54BT), Mabie, WV, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's disregard of the preflight weather briefing for severe weather along his route of flight, and his departure into the known and forecasted severe weather. A factor in the accident was the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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