Beech 58P accident near Charleston, South Carolina, December 30, 1982
On December 30, 1982 at about 7:57 pm local time, a Beech 58P, registered N2038P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Charleston, South Carolina (Charleston Afb/Inter. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 1982 · about 7:57 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, South Carolina · Charleston Afb/Inter.
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N2038P · no longer on the register · serial TJ-166
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 40 MI FROM DESTINATION IN HEAVY RAIN, BOTH ALTERNATORS FAILED. ELECTRICAL LOAD WAS REDUCED & A RADAR MONITORED ILS APCH WAS MADE. AFTER DESCENT THROUGH THE CLOUDS INTO VMC AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR ELECTRICALLY.AT THAT TIME ALL ELECT POWER WAS LOST. THE MANUAL EMERG GEAR EXTENSION WAS USED UNTIL RESISTANCE WAS FELT. DURING THE LANDING THE GEAR RETRACTED. THE LANDING GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS NOT PULLED PRIOR TO THE GEAR BEING CRANKED DOWN IAW THE PLT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK. CESSNA ACFT CORP HAD PUBLISHED 2 SERVICE INFO LETTERS WHICH APPLIED TO ACFT EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME ENG/ALTERNATOR INSTALLATION AS THE ACCIDENT ACFT. THESE LETTERS RESULTED FROM MOISTURE INDUCED INTERRUPTION OF ALTERNATOR OUTPUT. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENG/ALTERNATOR/COWLING INSTALLATION OF THE BE-58P IS SIMILAR TO THECESSNA ACFT AFFECTED BY THE LETTER.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 482 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Philadelphia PA at 11:15 am
- Destination: Fort Pierce FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33, 9,001 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 120°F (49°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from CHS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.