Beech 58TC accident near Hasbrouck Hts., New Jersey, December 9, 1999
On December 9, 1999 at about 10:27 pm local time, a Beech 58TC, registered N581BC, was destroyed in an accident near Hasbrouck Hts., New Jersey (Teterboro Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 1999 · about 10:27 pm local time
- Place
- Hasbrouck Hts., New Jersey · Teterboro Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58TC · all 58TCs on the register
- Registration
- N581BC · registry record · serial TK-125
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was vectored for an arrival from the west at night with 10 miles visibility. The pilot was instructed to over-fly the airport at 1,500 feet for left traffic, Runway 19. He descended to 500 feet, and positioned the airplane for a right base to Runway 19. He then made a 180-degree turn to follow another airplane on a right downwind. The local controller then instructed the pilot to fly a 090-degree heading. Witnesses listening on a scanner had observed the airplane make a 180-degree steep turn to the right. After the controller instructed the pilot to fly 090 degrees, they observed the airplane make a steep turn to the left and descend out of view. The airplane struck the side of a residence in an approximate 60-degree left wing low, 30-degree nose down attitude, and a post-crash fire developed. No evidence of a pre-existing mechanical failure or malfunction was found. Radar data revealed the airspeed had decreased from about 180 knots to about 78 knots over 4 minutes. Stall speeds for a 30-degree bank were estimated to be 88 knots with flaps up and 80 knots flaps down.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 75 in the last 90 days; 10,725 as pilot in command; 3,350 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1998
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-NB C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OFP Ashland VA at 8:58 pm
- Destination: TEB Teterboro NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from TEB, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.