Beechcraft 65-A90 N518DM

Summary

On 31 July 1999 at about 12:25 local time, a Beechcraft 65-A90 registered N518DM, operated by Parahawks Skydiving Center, was involved in an accident near Marine City, Michigan, United States. 10 people were on board and 10 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 July 1999 at 12:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Marine City, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Marine City Airport (76G)

Coordinates

42.7096, -82.4895

Aircraft

Beechcraft 65-A90

Registration

N518DM

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Parahawks Skydiving Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99MA269

10 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall, inflight loss of contol, and collision with the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane impacted the terrain approximately 2,065 feet south of the departure end of runway 22. Damage to the cockpit section of the wreckage indicated a nose down crush angle of approximately 80 degrees. The wreckage path was on a 208 degree heading, and the distance from the initial impact to the location of the empennage was about 142 feet. The cockpit and cabin were destroyed by post impact fire. Examination of the engines and propellers revealed no preexisting failures or conditions that would have prevented normal operation. The engines exhibited indications of rotation, and the witness marks on both sets of propellers were consistent with the propellers operating in the governing range at impact. Control continuity was established from the right aileron, elevator, and rudder. Witnesses reported the airplane seem to be operating normally during taxi and takeoff, but that it entered a steep left bank after clearing a 100 foot powerline located about 1,800 feet from the departure end of runway 22. After entering the steep left turn, the nose of the airplane dropped and the airplane impacted the ground. There was no evidence in the airplane's maintenance records of any annual maintenance inspection since August, 1997, although an airframe and powerplant mechanic reported that he had completed an inspection on June 30, 1999. There was no record in the airplane's mainteance records of compliance with five airworthiness directives applicable to the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.