Beech E-90 accident near Beaufort, South Carolina, December 20, 1999
On December 20, 1999 at about 1:35 am local time, a Beech E-90, registered N75CF, was destroyed in an accident near Beaufort, South Carolina. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-commands failure to maintain the appropriate altitude (minimum descent altitude) during an area surveillance radar (ASR) approach, resulting in an in-flight collision with swampy terrain. Contributing to the accident was the co-pilot's failure to maintain a visual lookout during the ASR approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 1999 · about 1:35 am local time
- Place
- Beaufort, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E-90 · all E-90s on the register
- Registration
- N75CF · registry record · serial LW212
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The PIC was cleared for an ASR approach to the destination airport. The co-pilot was looking outside to obtain a visual reference on the destination airport. They broke out of the clouds at about 900 feet, and were descending at about 480 feet per minute. The ceiling was overcast, ragged, and very dark with no visible horizon. The co-pilot looked back inside the cockpit to check the radios when he heard a thump. The PIC had continued the descent below the minimum descent altitude, the airplane collided with the marsh and crashed.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,316 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 5, 1999; 130 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HXD Hilton Head SC at 1:22 am
- Destination: 73J
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from NBC, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 MIA00FA056.