Beech C-45H accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, October 31, 1991
On October 31, 1991, a Beech C-45H, registered N6640R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
HARD LANDING DUE TO FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER DESCENT RATE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE TURBULENCE ENCOUNTERED DURING THE APCH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 1991
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-45H · all C-45Hs on the register
- Registration
- N6640R · no longer on the register · serial AF-511
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO PAX STATED THAT THE FLT ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE DURING THE APCH. THE ACFT LANDED HARD & THE LT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE ACFT THEN YAWED TO THE LT & THE NOSE & RT MAIN LANDING GEARS COLLAPSED DUE TO THE SIDELOAD. EXAM OF THE LT MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSY REVEALED THAT THE WALKING BEAM FAILED DUE TO OVERSTRESS WHICH ALLOWED THE GEAR TO COLLAPSE. EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE RT ENG SEPARATED IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION. THE LT ENG WAS PARTIALLY ATTACHED BUT DEFLECTED IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,270 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 391 in the last 90 days; 1,196 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 23, 1991; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,900 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYLS Stella Maris OF at 10:32 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9, 5,276 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 050° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.