Beech 95-C55 accident near Charleston, South Carolina, February 9, 1985
On February 9, 1985 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Beech 95-C55, registered N211DS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Charleston, South Carolina (Charleston Intl airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- February 9, 1985 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, South Carolina · Charleston Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-C55 · all 95-C55s on the register
- Registration
- N211DS · registry record · serial TE-237
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT MAKING PRACTICE COUPLED ILS APCH IN VMC. INTERCEPTED LOCALIZER OUTSIDE THE OUTER MARKER. HELD THE GEAR,INTENDING TO LOWER THEM AT OM. CONTINUED INBD TO DH WHERE HE RESUMED MANUAL CONTROL. OBSERVED GEAR WARNING LT AND HEARD AURAL GEAR WARNING BUT FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THEIR MEANING. TOUCHED DOWN WITH GR UP. PLT WAS THE ACFT OWNER AND HAD 150 HRS EXPERIENCE IN MAKE/MODEL. NO SAFETY PLT. PASSENGER WAS NOT A PLT.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 470 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BWI Baltimore MD at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33, 9,001 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:03 pm from CHS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N211DS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.