- Date
- November 18, 1988, 15:46 local (20:46 UTC)
- Place
- Shirley, NY
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8697ABeech A35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report October 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881118051349A
- Case key
- 36259
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
Loss of control during takeoff, due to the failure (separation) of the right rudder control cable. Contributing to the accident was improper inspection and maintenance of the cable.
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 acft made a steep climb on takeoff, turned sharply to the left, and spiraled to the ground. The right rudder cable was found separated under the fuel tank. The cable strands in the area of the separation were severely corroded. The corrosion completely consumed many of the wires. Only a few recognizable fractures were found on the wires and these fractures appeared typical of over stress separations. The last annual inspection of the acft was performed 3 months prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8697A
- Reported as
- Beech A35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-2107
- Airframe hours
- 4,645
- Engine
- Continental E-185-11, 185 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles S. Stewart, III
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 1988
- Airport
- 1N1 · Brookhaven, runway 33, 4,325 × 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 456 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FOK, 10 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.