Beech 58TC accident near St Marys, West Virginia, June 29, 1994
On June 29, 1994 at about 12:10 pm local time, a Beech 58TC, registered N333TK, was destroyed in an accident near St Marys, West Virginia. It was a business 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
AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE OF UNDETERMINED ORIGIN, PRIOR TO THE IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1994 · about 12:10 pm local time
- Place
- St Marys, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58TC · all 58TCs on the register
- Registration
- N333TK · registry record · serial TK-36
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 10,000 FEET MSL, THE AIRPLANE DEVIATED SLIGHTLY BELOW AND ABOVE THE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE, THEN IT ENTERED A RAPID DESCENT AND BROKE APART IN FLIGHT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE, BUT THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT VERIFIED. A POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED THE FORWARD FUSELAGE. A SUBSTANCE IDENTIFIED AS PVC-DOP WAS FOUND ON THE FORWARD UTILITY DOOR AND ON THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. BOTH OF THESE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND WERE FOUND WITH OTHER PIECES OF WRECKAGE THAT WERE SCATTERED OVER A 1/2 MILE AREA. THE PVC-DOP HAD BEEN DEPOSITED IN A 'MOLTEN STATE.' ANALYSIS OF THE PVC-DOP REVEALED THAT IT HAD A MELTING POINT OF 185 DEGREES CELSIUS. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD FAILED IN NUMEROUS PIECES, AND THE WINGS HAD FAILED DOWNWARD WITH SEPARATION OCCURRING JUST OUTSIDE THE ENGINE NACELLES. BOTH WING SPARS EXHIBITED DOWNWARD DEFORMATION. NO PREACCIDENT ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINES. PATHOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS OF THE OCCUPANTS REVEALED SOOTING IN THEIR TRACHEA'S.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,676 hours in all; 130 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 4,533 as pilot in command; 3,760 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Phoenix Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PIT Pittsburgh PA at 11:34 am
- Destination: M54 Lebanon TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from PKB, 15 miles away
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.