- Date
- October 20, 1988, 16:34 local (20:34 UTC)
- Place
- Blue Bell, PA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1RJBeech A24R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881020046989A
- Case key
- 36254
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
Improper VFR procedures, the pilot failed to maintian adequate airspeed for the attitude of flight of the airplane causing it to stall and collide with trees and a powerline during recovery.
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
After flying IFR from rochester, new york to the philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, the pilot cancelled IFR and flew a VFR left traffic pattern for runway 24 at Blue Bell airport. Witnesses said that the airplane appeared low and close to the airport for a downwind. During the base leg turn to the left the angle of bank increased to about sixty degrees. The nose of the airplane dropped and the airplane descended below the tree line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1RJ
- Reported as
- Beech A24R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MC-99
- Airframe hours
- 1,592
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying Musketeers Of Rochester
- Registered owner
- Flying Musketeers Of Rochester
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 20, 1988 · 167 hours before
- Departed
- ROC · Rochester, NY
- Destination
- N67 · Blue Bell, PA
- 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
- Age
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 478 total · 383 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N1RJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.