- Date
- December 26, 1991, 17:37 local (22:37 UTC)
- Place
- Bluffton, SC
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6588SBeech 58TC
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911226057209A
- Case key
- 8491
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's failure to maintain minimum controllable airspeed after a reported engine power loss, resulting in a loss of aircraft control. A factor was the loss of power on the left engine. The reason for the left engine power loss 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
The commercial pilot had initiated a divert to another airport after hearing reports of low visibilitiy at his destination. He reported that he had no approach plates for his divert field. While being radar vectored at about 3,000 feet AGL, he reported 'having engine problems.' About 1 minute later, he reported 'going down'. The aircraft crashed in wooded terrain and burned. The descent angle through the trees was about 30 degrees. Radar data indicates that the aircraft rapidly lost about 30 knots prior to the pilot's last radio call, followed by a high rate of descent. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the left propeller was near the feathered position at impact. There was evidence of power on the right engine at impact. Teardowns of both engines and their components failed to explain the reported engine problem.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6588S
- Reported as
- Beech 58TC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TK4
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-L, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Weinhold, Donald L.
- Registered owner
- Weinhold, Donald L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- RUQ · Salisbury, NC
- Destination
- 49J · Hilton Head Is., 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 790 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 20° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 49J, 9 nm away
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 N6588S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.