Beech P-35 BONANZA accident near Joliet, Illinois, August 15, 1990
On August 15, 1990 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Beech P-35 BONANZA, registered N8699M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Joliet, Illinois (Joliet Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE DELAY IN INITIATING THE ABORTED TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1990 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Joliet, Illinois · Joliet Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech P-35 BONANZA P-35 BONAN · all P-35 BONANZAs on the register
- Registration
- N8699M · no longer on the register · serial D-7285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DOOR OPENED DURING TAKEOFF ROLL. PILOT PULLED THROTTLE AND APPLIED BRAKES TO ABORT. PILOT REAPPLIED THROTTLE TO CONTINUE TAKEOFF AND THEN ASSESSED SPEED AS TO SLOW. SECOND ABORT ATTEMPT OVERRAN RUNWAY, CROSSED ROAD AND STRUCK MAILBOXES.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,301 hours in all; 444 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,125 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,970 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from ARR, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.