- Date
- December 19, 1992, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Meriden, CT
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1848ABeech C-24R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921219050909A
- Case key
- 37282
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 improper airplane preflight, resulting in no airspeed indication during takeoff, and the subsequent abort with insufficient runway available to stop prior to a collision with the terrain.
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
During the takeoff roll, the pilot observed that the airspeed was not operating. He aborted the takeoff, but he was unable to stop the airplane on the remaining runway, and the airplane collided with a ditch. The pilot said, 'after the accident I realize[d] the streamer was ripped off by the wind. I must not have looked in the hole [during preflight].' He found the pitot tube blocked with part of the pitot cover.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1848A
- Reported as
- Beech C-24R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-2341
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bonnie L. Scherf
- Registered owner
- Bonnie L. Scherf
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- MMK
- Destination
- 17N · Cross Keys, NJ
- Airport
- MMK · Meriden Markham Municipal, runway 36, 3,100 × 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 242 total · 183 in this make and model · 176 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.