Beech T-34B accident near Quantico, Virginia, August 29, 1998
On August 29, 1998 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Beech T-34B, registered N669MC, was destroyed in an accident near Quantico, Virginia (Quantico Mcaf airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the flight instructor to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 1998 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Quantico, Virginia · Quantico Mcaf · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech T-34B · all T-34Bs on the register
- Registration
- N669MC · no longer on the register · serial BG-3
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed on a local training flight. A flight instructor in the rear seat was checking out the front seat pilot who was new to the airplane. Witnesses reported that after the airplane became airborne, it did not climb as expected. While over the water and beyond the departure end of the runway, at an estimated altitude of 150 to 200 feet above the water, the airplane was observed to enter a shallow left turn. The bank increased, the nose dropped and the airplane struck the water. The CFI was found with his shoulder harness not connected. No evidence of pre-existing mechanical failure was found with the airframe or engine.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,416 hours in all; 243 in the last 90 days; 117 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,981 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 8, 1997; 125 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,985 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NYG at 5:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,326 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from NYG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number IAD98FA103.