Beech 58P accident near Brookhaven, Mississippi, September 9, 2000
On September 9, 2000 at about 3:26 pm local time, a Beech 58P, registered N58PB, was destroyed in an accident near Brookhaven, Mississippi (Brookhaven-Lincoln County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The poor in-flight planning/decision by the pilot for flying a close-in downwind leg, improper aircraft handling by the pilot for his executing a 70-75 degree angle of bank turning base to final while circling to land, and inadvertent stall/mush of the airplane by the pilot-in-command.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2000 · about 3:26 pm local time
- Place
- Brookhaven, Mississippi · Brookhaven-Lincoln County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N58PB · registry record · serial TJ-496
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an IFR flight when near the destination airport, the pilot was provided the most current weather for the closest airport and also with the current altimeter setting required for the approach. The flight was cleared for the non-precision approach and according to two pilot-rated witnesses who were related to the pilot and were waiting at the airport for the flight to arrive, the weather conditions at the airport consisted of a ceiling at 500-600 feet and the visibility was 3 statute miles. No weather reporting was available at the destination airport. The airplane was observed on the downwind leg flying beneath the clouds and 644 feet abeam the runway with the landing gear extended and what appeared to be approach flaps. One of the witnesses reported that he heard a sound he associated with the propellers being placed in the low pitch position and also heard the engines increase rpm what he thought was full power for what he thought would be a missed approach. The airplane then began turning base leg when the flight had passed 10-20 degrees past the numbers; the bank angle increased to approximately 70-75 degrees and the nose then pitched down and the airplane impacted the ground. The witness reported that the engine sound did not change from the moment he heard power applied to the point of impact. Examination of the engines, propellers, and flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The flap selector switch was found in the down position and the left flap actuator was found in the full down position; no determination could be made as to the position of the right flap actuator. The stall speed increase with a 70 and 75-degree angle of bank is 73 percent and approximately 100 percent, respectively.
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: 5,080 hours in all; 42 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: November 27, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520WB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ORL Orlando FL at 12:37 pm
- Destination: 1R7 Brookhaven MS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from MCB, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.