Beech E18S accident near Youngstown, Ohio, July 18, 1985
On July 18, 1985 at about 5:43 am local time, a Beech E18S, registered N51W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Youngstown, Ohio (Youngstown airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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
- July 18, 1985 · about 5:43 am local time
- Place
- Youngstown, Ohio · Youngstown
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E18S · all E18Ss on the register
- Registration
- N51W · registry record · serial BA287
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING INITIAL CLIMB, THE PLT NOTED A VIBRATION. HE WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE & ELECTED TO LAND GEAR UP ON THE REMAINING RWY. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE STICK SHAKER SYS HAD BEEN ACTIVATED BY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE LEFT ENG NACELLE AREA. THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO A GROUND FIRE THAT OCCURRED IN THAT AREA.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,055 hours in all; 416 in this make and model; 238 in the last 90 days; 1,666 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,058 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 6, 1985; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Laffayette Aviation
The flight
- Destination: Des Moines IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 7,492 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from YNG
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.