- Date
- November 12, 1989, 06:40 local (11:40 UTC)
- Place
- Bridgeport, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N24569Beech A24R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891112044859A
- Case key
- 36582
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 airplane engine throttle cable failed and the engine power reduced to idle over long island sound, resulting in the ditching of the airplane.
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
While en route to Bridgeport, CT, the pilot was performing his landing checks, when he placed the mixture control to full rich and twisted the vernier to ensure it was all the way in. He heard a snap and pulled the control out 1/2 to 3/4 inch to see if it was still functional. At that time, the engine power descreased to approximately a flight idle condition. The throttle and prop control appeared to work normally. Bridgeport tower was informed the plt was going to ditch the airplane. During the ditching, the shoulder harness prevented injury. The pilot used his briefcase and turned his lunch cooler upside down for floatation in the water. The airplane was not recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24569
- Reported as
- Beech A24R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MC-121
- Airframe hours
- 2,550
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John R. Casey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1989 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- HWV · Shirley, NY
- Destination
- BDR · Bridgeport, CT
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 325 in this make and model · 375 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 310° at 25 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.