Beech 65-A80 accident near Baltimore, Maryland, November 8, 1986
On November 8, 1986 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Beech 65-A80, registered N304D, was destroyed in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland (Baltimore-Washington Intl airport). It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured. 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
- November 8, 1986 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · Baltimore-Washington Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A80 · all 65-A80s on the register
- Registration
- N304D · registry record · serial LD226
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG CLB AFTER TKOF, L ENG SEIZED. PLT SAID HE ATMTD 1 ENG RESTART; PROP WOULD NOT ROTATE OR FEATHER. NO EMERG DECLARED. PLT STATED ENG SHUT-DWN PROC WAS USED, SCIENTIFIC BUS SWS WERE SHUT OFF, R GEN WAS RECYCLED & APPEARED TO OPER NORMALLY.PLTS GOT IMT VECTOR TO RTRN TO MARTIN (MTN) ARPT, BUT RADAR CTC WAS LOST FOR ATB 5 MIN. ELEC PRBLMS WERE ENCTRD & PLTS HAD PROBM MAINTG HDGS, THUS WERE DELAYED IN DIVERTING TO ALTN. WITH L PROP UNFEATHERED, THEY COULD NOT MAINT ALT. DUE TOBAD WX AT MTN, THEY DIVERTED TO BWI. RADAR & RDO CTC WERE LOST & THEY COULD NOT RCH BWI. DRG FORCED LNDG, ACFT HIT TREE & CRASHED SHORT OF INTENDED LNDG AREA. TEARDOWN OF L ENG REVEALED #4 & #5 CON RODS HAD FAILED AT CRANKSHAFT; THEY WERE DISCOLORED FM HEAT & SCORED; OTR ROD BRGS HAD INDCNS OF OIL STARVATION. METALLIC DEBRIS FM FAILED ENG FND IN OIL SYS. SVRL OIL FEED HOLES TO ROD BRGS WERE OBSTRUCTED WITH METALLIC DEBRIS. FIRE DMGD MOST OF THE ELEC SYS. ACFT (MODIFIED FORENVIRONMENTAL TESTING) NOT FLT TESTED FOR DRAG INDUCING MODS; WRITTEN FLT CREW INSTRNS NOT AVAIL FOR MODS.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,294 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 1,882 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,479 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 7, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 8,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGSO-540-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Executive Fliteways, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MTN Baltimore MD at 4:13 pm
- Destination: ISP Islip NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 9,452 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from BWI, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.