- Date
- June 29, 1990, 11:56 local (15:56 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrence, MA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N67990Beech BE-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900629023099A
- Case key
- 36672
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 failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane with an open door. Factors related to the accident was the failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed and the door opening at liftoff.
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 was taking off when the main cabin door opened at rotation. The pilot said he lost engine power during his return to the airport and landed in a field. The airplane was destroyed by a post-crash fire. Examination of the engine by the FAA found no evidence for the reported power loss; the engine was test run satisfactorily.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67990
- Reported as
- Beech BE-35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E2118
- Engine
- Continental IO-550B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Edward Bigham, Jr.
- Destination
- BED · Bedford, MA
- Airport
- LWM · Lawrence Muni., runway 5, 4,997 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 988 total · 226 in this make and model · 759 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °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.