Beech C90 accident near Beaufort, South Carolina, November 30, 1987
On November 30, 1987 at about 2:46 pm local time, a Beech C90, registered N4463W, was destroyed in an accident near Beaufort, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- November 30, 1987 · about 2:46 pm local time
- Place
- Beaufort, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C90 · all C90s on the register
- Registration
- N4463W · no longer on the register · serial LJ-633
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 0938, WHILE CLBG THRU 9000', THE PLT WAS CLRD TO CLB TO FL 210. APRX 10 MIN LATER, THE ATC CTLR NOTED THE ACFT'S MODE C RTRN WASN'T BEING DISPLAYED ON HIS SCOPE. HE TRIED TO ADZ THE PLT, BUT COULDN'T ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT. THE ACFTBROKE UP IN FLT & THE WRECKAGE WAS FND SUBMERGED IN A CREEK & ON MARSHLAND. A LARGE PIECE OF THE RGT OUTBOARD WING PANELWAS FND ABT 2 MI EAST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE RGT ENG WAS FND APRX 800' TO 1200' NE OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE IN 4' OF WTR.THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE RGT OUTBOARD WING HAD FAILED FM UPWARD & AFT OVERLOAD. NO PRE-ACDNT MECH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN IN-FLT BREAK-UP. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT WAS CLBG AT 115 KTS & 1100'/MIN; AT APRX 16,000' MSL, RATE OF CLB SLOWED TO APRX 750'/MIN, THEN INCREASED TO 1200'/MIN. PEAK ALT WAS APRX 18,200'. ACFT THENENTERED A STEEP DSCNT & CRASHED. AT THE APRX TIME & PLACE OF PEAK ALT, PRIMARY TARGETS APPEARED ON RADAR & REMAINED FOR SVRL MINS. ORGANIC MTRL WAS FND ON LEFT ENG INLET SCREEN, BUT SOURCE WAS NOT DTRMD. ACDNT OCCURRED ALONG BIRD FLYWAY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,092 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 15, 1987; 191 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,650 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAV Savannah GA at 2:31 pm
- Destination: PNE Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from NBC, 5 miles away
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.
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.