Beech 95-B55 accident near Falmouth, Massachusetts, November 21, 2001
On November 21, 2001 at about 5:32 pm local time, a Beech 95-B55, registered N3847Q, was destroyed in an accident near Falmouth, Massachusetts (Falmouth Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The incapacitation of the pilot for undetermined reasons which resulted in an in-flight collision with water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2001 · about 5:32 pm local time
- Place
- Falmouth, Massachusetts · Falmouth Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 · all 95-B55s on the register
- Registration
- N3847Q · no longer on the register · serial TC-2379
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After the pilot requested a decent from his cruising altitude, he was instructed to squawk 1200 and switch to the advisory frequency at the destination airport; however, the pilot did not acknowledge the instruction. No further radio transmissions were received from the airplane. Witnesses reported observing the airplane descend to the water in a straight and level attitude, with the engines developing power. The airplane wreckage was located in 11 feet of water, about 5 miles south of destination airport. Review of radar data revealed that the airplane was descending at a rate of about 300 feet per minute, on a heading of about 190 degrees. The average groundspeed of the airplane during the descent was about 163 knots. The airplane was equipped with an autopilot. Examination of the autopilot annunciator panel by the Safety Board Materials laboratory revealed that the autopilot annunciator panel contained 15 indicators, each of which had one 28 Volt 60 milliamp light bulb. The filaments of each light bulb were examined with a binocular microscope with magnifications of up to 30X. Three of the filaments were stretched and deformed: "AP" (autopilot engagement), "FD" (flight director mode), and "HDG" (heading select/preselect mode). The results of the autopsy and toxicological testing on the pilot were unremarkable.
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: 2,000 hours in all
- Last flight review: October 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,324 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LWM Lawrence MA at 4:56 pm
- Destination: 5B6 Falmouth MA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from FMH, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.