Beech BE-76 accident near Hammond, Minnesota, August 19, 2003
On August 19, 2003 at about 5:01 am local time, a Beech BE-76, registered N1812S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hammond, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot exceeded the design limits of the wings when he pulled out of an inadvertent spiral after he lost control of the airplane while operating in IMC conditions. Additional factors included the pilot's flight from VMC to IMC conditions, the turbulence in clouds, and lightning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2003 · about 5:01 am local time
- Place
- Hammond, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-76
- Registration
- N1812S · no longer on the register · serial ME-416
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a departure from controlled flight and subsequent recovery while in instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot reported that he was attempting to remain in visual meteorological conditions by deviating around thunderstorms. He reported the flight was at 7,000 feet mean seal level when the airplane entered a cloud. The pilot stated he "had been hand flying the airplane for several minutes when we hit a couple of waves of heavier turbulence followed by nearby lightning flash." The pilot reported the heavier turbulence resulted in an altitude loss of approximately 100 feet. The pilot was reportedly attempting to correct for the altitude loss when the airplane departed from controlled flight. The pilot reported he felt the airplane had entered a spiral/spin. He stated he was able to recover, returned to level flight, and continued on to his destination at the assigned altitude. He made an uneventful landing. He departed the airplane and discovered the airplane's wings were "wrinkled".
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 978 hours in all; 639 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 844 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 21, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,851 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 4, 2002; 211 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1G6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ATY Watertown SD at 3:16 am
- Destination: MLI Moline IL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 am from RST, 12 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.