- Date
- October 25, 1990, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Georgetown, SC
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N97PABeech A36
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901025047089A
- Case key
- 8295
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
The pilot-in-command's loss of consciousness during flight. The reason for the loss of consciousness could not be determined.
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
During descent on an IFR flight, the pilot became incapactiated. The non-rated passenger then made the following transmission: 'can anybody hear me?', followed by '... He went to sleep on me'. Radar data indicates that N97PA then flew erratic headings and altitudes until finally turning to a southeasterly heading, towards the ocean. Attempts by ATC to direct a turn back towards land were to no avail. Radar contact was lost 4 miles from the coastline over the atlantic ocean. The coast guard recovered an airplane seat and two sections of landing gear. Positive identification of the pilot and passenger was not possible. The pilot had received his class ii medical the day of the accident. A search of his medical record revealed a slightly abnormal ecg in 1988 (on application for class I medical). All subsequent applications for FAA medical certificates were for class ii certificates, which do not require ecg testing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N97PA
- Reported as
- Beech A36
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-2023
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-BB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Air And Sea Sales Corporation
- Registered owner
- Air And Sea Sales Corp., Inc
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 7, 1990 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- GMU · Greenville, SC
- Destination
- GGE · Georgetown, SC
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 11,650 total · 11,305 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Wind
- 310° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MYR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.