# NTSB MIA97LA215: Beech 65, N816Q, Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean), July 24, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 24, 1997, 16:20 local (20:20 UTC) - Place: Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean) - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 5 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 2, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 38315 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA97LA215 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38315/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA215 ## Probable cause Failure of the aircraft to maintain altitude for undetermined reasons following loss of power in one engine. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - normal - reason for occurrence undetermined - Ditching, descent - altitude - not possible, flightcrew (cause) - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) ## Analysis About 1 hour after departure and 15 minutes after reaching the cruising altitude of 9,000 feet, the left engine quit. The flight crew feathered the left propeller and turned toward the closest airport which was 80 miles away. The aircraft would not maintain altitude and entered a 500 foot per minute descent. About 20 minutes after engine failure the aircraft was ditched in the ocean about 50 miles from the closest airport. The flight crew and passengers were rescued the following morning and the aircraft was not recovered. The second pilot and owner of the aircraft stated the aircraft was about 90 pounds over the maximum allowable weight at the time of departure. The previous owner of the aircraft stated that both engines had exceeded the recommended overhaul time by about 450 flight hours. ## Factual narrative On July 24, 1997, about 1620 eastern daylight time, a Beech 65, N816Q, registered to M R Aircraft Sales and Rental, Inc., ditched in the Atlantic Ocean following loss of power in one engine, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, from Miami, Florida, to Kingston, Jamaica. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft was not recovered and presumed to be destroyed. The commercial-rated pilot, commercial-rated second pilot, and three passengers were not injured. The flight originated from Miami, Florida, the same day, about 1501. The pilot-in-command stated that about 1 hour after takeoff, at 9,000 feet, the left engine failed. They turned toward Bain Airport, Andros Island, Bahamas. The passengers were briefed. The airplane would not maintain altitude on one engine and was ditched about 25 miles from the Andros Island shoreline at about 1620. They were rescued the next morning about 0745. The second pilot stated he was flying the aircraft from the left seat and that he was the owner of the aircraft. The takeoff and climb to the cruising altitude of 9,000 feet was normal. About 15 minutes after reaching the cruising altitude, while near "URSUS" intersection on airway "A-509", the left engine quit. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and the engine was shut down and the propeller was feathered. The aircraft would not maintain altitude and entered a 500 feet per minute rate of descent. He turned to the closest airport, Bain Airport, which was about 80 miles to the east-northeast. The aircraft continued to descend and they ditched in the ocean about 50 miles from the Bain Airport. After ditching, he and the occupants exited the aircraft uninjured and boarded a raft. They were rescued the following morning. The second pilot stated that at the beginning of taxi for takeoff the aircraft weighed 7,790 pounds and that the maximum allowable takeoff weight is 7,700 pounds. The previous owner of the aircraft stated the aircraft logbooks had been lost before he purchased the aircraft. Information he had showed the aircraft had accumulated about 4,300 total flight hours and that each engine had about 450 flight hours over the recommended overhaul time. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N816Q](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N816Q-2015-05-11), registration cancelled 2015-05-11, S/N LC-38, built 1960 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech 65 - Registry model: [Beech 65](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-65) (registry code 1152802) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming GSO&IGSO-480 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-gso-igso-480-series) (registry code 41529, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: LC-38 - Airframe hours: 4300 - Engines: Lycoming IGSO-480-A1B6 340 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: M R Aircraft Sales And Rental - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 23, 1997, 2 hours before - Departed: TMB, MIAMI, FL - Destination: MKJP, KINGSTON, OF - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 26; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 1,785 total, 21 in this make and model, 1,560 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,500 ft broken - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 77 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: MIA, 125 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19970724046919A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970724046919A), Jul 24, 1997: Beech 65, No damage. (-23) Left engine quit while enroute to jamaica on airway A-509, near "ursus" intersection. Attempts to restart were unsuccessful. Pilot ditched aircraft when… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.