Beech B50 accident near Church Creek, Maryland, August 23, 1989
On August 23, 1989 at about 1:20 am local time, a Beech B50, registered N3688B, was destroyed in an accident near Church Creek, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC AND PILOT DISORIENTATION, WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, DARKNESS, AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1989 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Church Creek, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B50 · all B50s on the register
- Registration
- N3688B · no longer on the register · serial CH-102
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS ON A VFR FLIGHT, WHEN ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, THE ACFT ENTERED AN AREA OVER THE CHESAPEAKE BAY REPORTED AS IMC. THE ACFT DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND CRASHED IN A WOODED SWAMP AREA JUST EAST OF THE BAY. THE PLT WAS RETURNING TO THE ARPT, WHERE THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED EARLIER. THE PLT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING ABOUT 9 HRS EARLIER AND HE WAS ADVISED OF MARGINAL VFR FORECAST UP TO 1800 HRS. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE THAT THE PLT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE PLT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED AND HE OBTAINED A MULTI-ENGINE RATING 2 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.
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
- Flight time: 451 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,185 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 3, 1989; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GO-435-C2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: N80 Ocean City MD
- Destination: Leonardtown MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Observation at 1:00 am from SBY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.