MIA00LA012

NTSB accident investigation · Beech D35 · Indiantown, FL · October 16, 1999

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
October 16, 1999, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
Place
Indiantown, FL
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Unknown
Aircraft
N2109DBeech D35
Weather
Not reported
Status
Completed · report March 2, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19991016030929A
Case key
47644

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The reported unauthorized use of the airplane by an unknown person.

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.

Miscellaneous/otherUnknown
Stolen aircraft/unauthorized useUnknown

Analysis

The owner reportedly last saw the airplane on October 14, 1999; no one had permission to fly it. He flew commercially to Michigan from Florida, that day which was 1 day earlier than scheduled due to adverse weather. On October 16, 1999, a Martin County Sheriff Department Detective was called to the airport and observed the crashed airplane at 1030 hours; no damage to the hangar doors was noted. The owner stated that his medical is being reviewed by the FAA in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The owner's brother paid for hangar rental from September 22, to be vacated on October 15. No arrangements were made beyond October 15. The owner and owner's brother refused to take polygraph tests when requested by representatives of the Martin County Sheriff Dept. On October 14, 1999, one ELT signal was received by one ground station. The ground station calculated the source of the ELT signal to be located from one of two locations, one of which was determined to be located 34 nautical miles and 046 degrees from the Indiantown Airport. The aircraft keys were found in the back seat. The ELT was in the 'off' position, and out of the bracket.

Factual narrative

On October 16, 1999, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Beech D35, N2109D, registered to Quality Computer Systems, Inc., was first observed resting in a ditch with the left wing separated just north of the Indiantown Airport, Indiantown, Florida. Weather conditions at the time of the accident are unknown and no flight plan was noted to be filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and pilot information is unknown. The date and time of the occurrence is unknown.

On October 16, 1999, about 1030 hours, Detective Sergeant Ken Ault of the Martin County Sheriff Department was notified that cattle were on the runway at the Indiantown Airport. He responded and noted damage to a barbed wire fence and to three fence posts on the north end of the airstrip; the airplane was located in a drainage canal. The emergency locator transmitter was out of the attach bracket and was in the "off" position. Following recovery of the airplane, a set of aircraft keys was located on the back seat of the airplane. Subsequent investigation of the hangar where the airplane had previously been secured revealed no padlock and no damage to the hangar doors. The owner was contacted by the Detective who reported that the owner did not appear to be surprised when he was advised of the incident. The owner and the owner's brother refused to take polygraph tests when asked by representatives of the Martin County Sheriff Department.

The owner of the airplane reported that he and another pilot flew the airplane from Michigan to Florida, on September 20, 1999. The owner flew back commercially to Michigan and returned to Florida, also flying commercially, on October 13, 1999. He last saw the airplane on October 14, 1999, about 0900 hours, at the Indiantown Airport where it was hangared. He flew commercially, returning to Michigan on October 14, 1999, instead of the previously scheduled flight on October 15, 1999. The reported purpose to fly out 1 day earlier was to avoid adverse weather that was scheduled to affect Florida. He further reported that no individual had his permission to fly the airplane. According to the owner, his medical certificate was being reviewed by FAA located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Examination of the accident site by the FAA revealed ground tracks past the departure end of runway 31. Damage to a fence was noted past that location and the left wing was noted to be separated at the wing root; damage to trees was associated with the wing separation. The airplane then traveled up an embankment and into a ditch where the airplane was observed to be upright and partially submerged.

On October 14, 1999, at 1107 local, one emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received by one ground station. The ground station calculated the source of the ELT signal to be located from one of two locations, one of which was determined to be located 34 nautical miles and 046 degrees from the Indiantown Airport.

According to personnel from the Indiantown airport, the owner's brother paid by check for hangar rental from September 22, to be vacated by October 15, 1999. The owner later stated to personnel from the airport that his brother was supposed to contact them regarding keeping the airplane beyond October 15, but that did not occur.

Aircraft

Registration
N2109D
Reported as
Beech D35
Category
Airplane
Serial number
D3454
Engine
Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Part 91
Operator
Christopher M. Conlisk
Registered owner
Quality Computer Systems, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Unknown · June 15, 1999
Departed
Unknown
Destination
Unknown
Airport
X58 · Indiantown

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
Medical
Unknown, Unknown

Weather

Conditions
Not reported

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 N2109D · 3

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.