- Date
- August 2, 1989, 13:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Sarasota, FL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N24586Beech A24R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890802026729A
- Case key
- 32304
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
Failure of the propeller hub due to previous damage, which resulted in subsequent fatigue failure of the hub; and failure of the pilot to maintain flying speed, which resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with the ground. Inadequate maintenance/inspection of the propeller hub (after the propeller strikes) was considered to be a contributing factor.
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
Witnesses saw the acft climb to an alt of about 500 to 800 ft AGL after taking off from rwy 32. At about that time, they heard a loud noise fm the acft, then they noted that the eng sound had ceased. The acft was observed to maneuver as if the plt was trying to return to the rwy. The plt transmitted a 'mayday' report, stating he had 'lost the engine.' While turning back to the rwy, the left wing & nose of the acft dropped & the plane entered a left dscndg turn. It impacted the gnd in a nr flat attitude while in a high rate of dscnt, then it slid into a tree & burned. An exam of the wreckage revealed 1 prop blade had sepd fm the hub drg flt. A metallurgical exam showed the hub had failed fm fatigue. Drg the previous 87 hrs of opn, the acft had been involved in two occurrences of gear collapse, which resulted in prop strikes with the gnd. According to records, the hub was inspected & found to be in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer (mccauley) & the FAA. The plt's previous flt time in this make/model of acft was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24586
- Reported as
- Beech A24R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MC-131
- Airframe hours
- 1,638
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James H. Croley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 18, 1988 · 48 hours before
- Destination
- SUA · Stuart, FL
- Airport
- SRQ · Sarasota-Bradenton, runway 32, 7,003 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Military, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,200 total · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SRQ, 1 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.