Beech 200 accident near Jefferson, Wisconsin, November 16, 1987
On November 16, 1987 at about 2:19 pm local time, a Beech 200, registered N334DP, was destroyed in an accident near Jefferson, Wisconsin. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 8 people were killed. 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
- November 16, 1987 · about 2:19 pm local time
- Place
- Jefferson, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 8 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 200 · all 200s on the register
- Registration
- N334DP · registry record · serial BB-1188
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CRUISING ABV FRZG LVL AT 12,000', THE FLT WAS CLRD TO DSCND & MAINT 9000'. ABT 1-1/2 MIN LTR, THE FLT DECLARED A MAYDAY (EMERGENCY). RADIO & RADAR CTC WERE LOST & THE ACFT CRASHED IN A NR VERTICAL DSCNT. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AFTER STARTING A DSCNT, THE ACFT ENTERED A LEFT/DESCENDING MNVR. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LEFT OUTBOARD WING PANEL & BOTH ENGS SEPD IN FLT. THE LAST TRANSPONDER REPLY WAS AT 2800'. AN EXAM REVEALED THE LEFT WING PANEL HAD SEPD FM POSITIVE OVERLOAD. NO FATIGUE OR PRE-EXISTING CRACK WAS FND ON ANY FRACTURE AREA. ALSO, DMG WAS FND ON THE LEFT ENG'S INBOARD COWLING THAT MATCHED DMG ON THE VERTICAL & RGT HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS; HOWEVER, SEQUENCE OF COWLING SEPN WAS NOT VERIFIED. THE SEPD WING PANEL & PARTS OF THE ENG COWLING WERE FOUND ABOUT 3/4 MI FM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. AN NTSB TRAJECTORY STUDY INDCD AN IN-FLT SEPN OCCURRED AT AN ALT OF APRX 5600' AS ACFT WAS HDG SE IN A 50 TO 70 DEG DIVE. ELEV TRIM INDCR WAS FND WITH A FULL NOSE UP INDCN. BOTH PLTS WERE INSTRUMENT RATED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,050 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 23, 1987; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-42 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGX Chicago IL at 1:51 pm
- Destination: C85 Baraboo WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft; not recorded at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from MSN, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.