- Date
- March 10, 1988, 00:26 local (05:26 UTC)
- Place
- Warren, MI
- Injuries
- 3 fatal; on the ground: 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N900WPBeech E18S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880310004929A
- Case key
- 13933
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 flt was an air taxi cargo flt carrying truck parts. After takeoff, the twr asked the plt if he was in difficulty and the plt replied 'roger' and requested a change of flt plan. The acft was seen flying erratically just above the tree tops. The acft descended almost vertically into a residential area. The rear of one home was ignited by the impact and 2 occupants of the house were fatally burned. Post acc investigation revealed no eng malfunction but there were discrepancies in the load manifest and the acft wt & balance. Before takeoff a co employee watched the plt secure the cargo with ropes nets & clips but did not help because he 'didn't know what the plt was doing.' Impact 'amage precluded determination of the original placement and security of the cargo and any possible shifting prior to impact. The net weight on the cargo manifest did not include the wt of the trays to hold the parts. This was an omission of 150 lbs. Co personnel said no wt & balance info was left with them when the acft departed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N900WP
- Reported as
- Beech E18S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BA298
- Engine
- P&W R-985-B14, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Lafayette Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 1, 1987 · 121 hours before
- Departed
- DET · Detroit, MI
- Destination
- FWA · Fort Wayne, IN
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,764 total · 375 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 340° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DET, 4 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.