- Date
- May 27, 1988, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Island, AR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3618QBeech A-23-19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880527016269A
- Case key
- 34495
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
Incapacitation of the pilot due to a medical event which resulted in loss of aircraft control.
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 pilot encountered an incapacitating medical event which resulted in the loss of aircraft control during the initial segment of takeoff. Autopsy findings listed the cause of death as 'drowning in association with arteriosclerotic heart disease'. The aircraft impacted the waters of the Mississippi river and submerged in approximately 12 feet of water. The private pilot was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. Examination of the wreckage, to include the engine, failed to reveal evidence of engine or airframe malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3618Q
- Reported as
- Beech A-23-19 (A-23-1900)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MB-248
- Airframe hours
- 2,363
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2C, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Greg Casteel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 2, 1987 · 43 hours before
- Destination
- 7M1 · Mcghee, AR
- Airport
- Big Island
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 274 total · 10 in this make and model · 230 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GLH, 64 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.
Other investigations on N3618Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.