- Date
- August 16, 1991, 15:21 local (19:21 UTC)
- Place
- Brookhaven, NY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N104SBBeech 58
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910816034609A
- Case key
- 36807
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
Pilot physiological incapacitation which resulted in a loss of control in flight, and an uncontrolled descent into water.
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 on a heading of approx 270, the pilot was instructed to follow another airplane into the airport. He did not turn in on final and continued for almost 3 miles. When the ATCT told him to turn to 180 for resequencing, he turned to 330, toward the airport and started a descent from 2000 feet. The airplane descended to 1600 feet, and then started a climb back to 2000 feet, with a shallow left turn, contacted approach control and continued the turn to 150. The radar data showed the aircraft speed started to decrease when the airplane climbed. There was a continued decrease of speed to 44 knots, at which point, the airplane started a descent, followed by a left spin, and impacted water. The radar data showed no rapid course changes prior to the low point of speed. The air/ground tapes showed the pilot sometimes took almost a minute between frequency changes, and his voice was indecisive and hesitant. The pilot had been treated for seizures since 1974. Anti-seizure medication was found in his toxicological samples.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N104SB
- Reported as
- Beech 58
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TH-1071
- Airframe hours
- 1,394
- Engine
- Continental I0-520-CB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John G. Lauchner
- Registered owner
- C & L Direct Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 4, 1990 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- GON · Groton, CT
- Destination
- ISP · Islip, NY
- Airport
- ISP · Mac Arthur
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
- 87
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,800 total · 7,600 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ISP, 6 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.