- Date
- August 6, 1989, 11:38 local (15:38 UTC)
- Place
- Wiscasset, ME
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2175WBeech B24R
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890806027249A
- Case key
- 36293
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
The pilot's loss of control of the airplane and uncontrolled descent during attempted flight in instrument meteorological conditions.
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 airplane departed Wiscasset airport, Maine, in instrument meteorological conditions, and the destination was beverly, Massachusetts. The pilot contacted the approach control, received an instrument flight rules clearance, and began climbing to the assigned altitude on a westerly heading. The new brunswick approach control radar showed that the airplane reached a maximum altitude of 1700 feet MSL, when it began to descend and reverse its direction of flight. The radar last showed the airplane at an altitude of 400 feet MSL and moving in a southeasterly direction. The airplane wreckage was found 1 mile southwest of the Wiscasset airport. The radio communication with the pilot did not indicate any difficulty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2175W
- Reported as
- Beech B24R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MC267
- Airframe hours
- 1,079
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert Knight
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 11, 1989 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- Wiscasset, ME
- Destination
- MVY · Beverly, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 9B9 · Wiscasset, runway 25, 3,400 × 75 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 483 total · 408 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NHZ, 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.