# Accident 19990311002119A: Beech C45G, Detroit, MI, March 11, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 11, 1999 - Place: Detroit, MI - Airport: Detroit Metro Wayne County - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: QOOA - Location: 42.2309° N, 83.3897° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2309&lon=-83.3897&mi=10 - Aircraft: N234L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N234L-2018-01-16) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech C-45G (registry code 1151014, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-c-45g) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 series (registry code 52008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-985-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH C45G - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99FA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99FA105) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990311002119A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT TOOK OFF FROM RWY 3R AND WAS TURNING LEFT AFTER DEPARTURE WHEN IT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET NORTH OF RWY 21C, THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT HAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .19) ON MARCH 11, 1999, AT 0053 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH C-45G, N234L, PILOTED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN AFTER DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 3R (10,000 FEET BY 150 FEET, CONCRETE/DRY) AT THE INTERSECTION OF TAXIWAY F FROM DETROIT METROPOLITAN WAYNE COUNTY AIRPORT (DTW) NEAR ROMULUS, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCYAND REPORTED AN EMERGENCY AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS TURNING BACK. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT WAS NO OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM DTW EN ROUTE TO WILLOW RUN AIRPORT NEAR BELLEVILLE, MICHIGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 0052. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON A MAGNETIC HEADING 055 DEGREES LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 3,400 FEET FROM AND 1,900 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 3R AT DTW. BOTH WING LEADING EDGES EXHIBITED A 90 DEGREE CRUSH ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE VERTICAL AND UPWARDS DIRECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES WERE FOUND INTACT WITH THE MAIN WRECKAGE WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE EMPENNAGE. THE FUSELAGE DID NOT DISPLAY SIDEWAYS BENDING. THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN ITS EXTENDED POSITION. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE. THERE WAS BLACK OIL SPRAY ON AND SURROUNDING THE MAIN WRECKAGE. ALLERON, ELEVATOR AND RUDDER FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS IN NEUTRAL POSITION. UPON INSPECTION OF THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE DOOR AND SURROUDING FUSELAGE, A CIRCULAR IMPRESSION WITH NO EXPOSURE OF THE UNDERLYING METAL WAS NOTED APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET 6-1/2 INCHES FROM THE DOOR HINGE LINE. THE DOOR WAS OPENED TO A POINT NEARLY FLUSH WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S FUSELAGE. THE DOOR HANDLE WAS FOUND TO MATCH THE CIRCULAR IMPRESSION IN POSITION AND SHAPE. THERE WAS NO TEARING OR FRACTURING OF THE FORWARD FUSELAGE DOOR PIN TIPS OR ITS DOOR PIN HOLES. A FIRST RESPONDENT STATED THAT THE FUSELAGE DOOR WAS OPEN AND THAT HE "DID NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY SEATBELT" DURING THE PILOT'S RESUE. HE ALSO STATED THAT A WOODEN PALLET SKID ORIENTATED WITH ITS WHEELS FACING REARWARDS ALONG WITH OTHER ITEMS FOUND ON THE FLOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE UNSECURED. FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE AIRCRAFT DURING AND AFTER RECOVERY. THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE FOUND SELECTED TO THE AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS AND WERE IN THEIR DETENT POSITIONS. THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMPS WERE ABLE TO BE ROTATED. THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMPS FROM THE MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE CONNECTED TO AN ELECTRICAL SOURCE AND WERE FOUND TO OPERATE. BOTH ENGINE SUPERCHARGER TURBINE WHEELS DISPLAYED SCORING AND DEFORMATION IN THE PLANE OF ROTATION. EXAMINATION OF PROPELLER BLADES ON BOTH ENGINES SHOWED GOUGING ON THE LEADING EDGES OF THE BLADES IN THE ROTATIONAL DIRECTION WITH TWISTING ON THE BLADE TIPS. THE TAPE OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE PILOT AND THE DTW HAS BEEN SENT TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD IN WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. (-23)AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 3R AT DTW AND IMPACTED THE GROUND 200-300 FT NORTH OF DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 3C. APPEARED TO BE STALL SPIN. AIRCRAFT DEMOLISHED-NO FIRE. PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. ## 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 CHI99FA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99FA105), Mar 11, 1999: Beech C-45G (N234L), Romulus, MI, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the aircraft control not maintained and the inadvertent stall by the pilot while maneuvering to the landing area. The open door was a contributing factor. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.