Beech 65-A90 accident near Marine City, Michigan, July 31, 1999
On July 31, 1999 at about 12:25 pm local time, a Beech 65-A90, registered N518DM, was destroyed in an accident near Marine City, Michigan (Marine City Airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 10 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall, inflight loss of contol, and collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1999 · about 12:25 pm local time
- Place
- Marine City, Michigan · Marine City Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 10 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A90 · all 65-A90s on the register
- Registration
- N518DM · registry record · serial LJ-251
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted the terrain approximately 2,065 feet south of the departure end of runway 22. Damage to the cockpit section of the wreckage indicated a nose down crush angle of approximately 80 degrees. The wreckage path was on a 208 degree heading, and the distance from the initial impact to the location of the empennage was about 142 feet. The cockpit and cabin were destroyed by post impact fire. Examination of the engines and propellers revealed no preexisting failures or conditions that would have prevented normal operation. The engines exhibited indications of rotation, and the witness marks on both sets of propellers were consistent with the propellers operating in the governing range at impact. Control continuity was established from the right aileron, elevator, and rudder. Witnesses reported the airplane seem to be operating normally during taxi and takeoff, but that it entered a steep left bank after clearing a 100 foot powerline located about 1,800 feet from the departure end of runway 22. After entering the steep left turn, the nose of the airplane dropped and the airplane impacted the ground. There was no evidence in the airplane's maintenance records of any annual maintenance inspection since August, 1997, although an airframe and powerplant mechanic reported that he had completed an inspection on June 30, 1999. There was no record in the airplane's mainteance records of compliance with five airworthiness directives applicable to the airplane.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,986 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 25, 1997; 521 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 76G at 12:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,100 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from MTC, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.