Beech 99 accident near Rockland, Maine, March 2, 2016
On March 2, 2016 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 1970 Beech 99, registered N198WA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (IFR final approach) near Rockland, Maine (Knox County Rgnl airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with isolated severe turbulence, which resulted in substantial airframe damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2016 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rockland, Maine · Knox County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 99 A, built 1970 · all 99s on the register
- Registration
- N198WA · no longer on the register · serial U142
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a nonscheduled cargo flight. The pilot reported that, as the airplane was descending on an instrument approach, it encountered continuous light-to-moderate turbulence. As the airplane descended through about 2,000 ft mean sea level at an airspeed of 130 knots, it encountered severe turbulence, and the pilot subsequently executed a missed approach and chose to divert to an alternate airport. The airplane continued to encounter light-to-moderate turbulence en route to the alternate airport, and the pilot landed the airplane uneventfully. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the airframe had sustained substantial damage during the flight. Although there were multiple AIRMETs for widespread moderate turbulence and low-level windshear, there were no pilot reports of, nor SIGMETs forecasting, severe turbulence at the time the pilot received her preflight weather briefing.
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
What happened, in order
- Turbulence encounter during approach (IFR final approach) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all; 2,784 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 24, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,548.3 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 5, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 10,399 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W PT6A-27 (turboprop); 9,839 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W PT6A-28 (turboprop); 7,211 hours total
- Operator: Wiggins Airways INC
The flight
- Departed from: MHT Manchester NH at 11:30 am
- Destination: RKD Rockland ME
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.43 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from KRKD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.