- Date
- February 3, 1992, 11:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Benton Harbor, MI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1123BBeech 95-BE55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920203001659A
- Case key
- 15316
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
Undetermined.
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 aircraft was being vectored for the back course localizer approach to runway 09 at Benton Harbor, Michigan, when radar contact and communication was lost. This approach is entirely over the waters of lake Michigan. During search operations a coast guard helicopter found an oil sheen and three aircraft tires with portions of the landing gear attached to them along the localizer track. Further search efforts failed to produce any additional wreckage or human remains. One month and eleven days after the disappearance of the aircraft, a body which was positively identified as that of the passenger aboard the aircraft was found washed up on the shore. Eight days after the discovery of the passengers remains, a body positively identified as that of the pilot was also found washed up on the shore of the lake. Autopsy revealed the cause of death in both cases was drowning. The aircraft is still missing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1123B
- Reported as
- Beech 95-BE55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-874
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-L, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stanley P. Macklin
- Registered owner
- Stanley P. Macklin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- C20 · Berrien Springs, MI
- 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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,100 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BEH, 5 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.