- Date
- March 9, 1989, 06:17 local (11:17 UTC)
- Place
- Covington, KY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3281TBeech BE-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890309003299A
- Case key
- 7880
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot attempted a takeoff with coating of frost on the airframe which resulted in a loss of lift during climbout.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
N3281T was attempting an instrument departure when it crashed left of the extended center line of runway 18. The flight was observed climbing through 200 feet prior to descending to the ground. Prior to taxiing to takeoff the pilot failed to deice the airframe. Airplanes on the parking ramp around N3281T deiced prior to takeoff. Weather reports indicated that temp/dew point were 26 and 23 degrees respectively. The surface observation also reported fog as a restriction to visibility. According to the airplane's handbook that tests prove that a coat of frost on a wing can destroy its lift.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3281T
- Reported as
- Beech BE-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BA-611
- Airframe hours
- 13,262
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-20, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Ajax Leasing Inc, doing business as Action Aero Charter Inc
- Registered owner
- Ajax Aircraft Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · February 15, 1989 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- CVG · Covington, KY
- Destination
- DTW · Detroit Metro, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CVG · Cincinnati, runway 18, 9,501 × 150 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,560 total · 15 in this make and model · 9,560 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CVG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3281T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.