Beechcraft 58P accident near Swanzey, New Hampshire, September 2, 2002
On September 2, 2002 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Beechcraft 58P, registered N6688D, was destroyed in an accident near Swanzey, New Hampshire (Dillant Hopkins Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 7 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
**This report was modified on 2/24/2016. Refer to the public docket for this accident for additional information.** the pilot's improper preflight planning and his decision to depart with known landing gear system mechanical deficiencies, which resulted in a forced landing during a partial loss of power on one engine. Factors related to the accident were the fatigue failure of an engine cylinder barrel, the inadequate manufacturing process of the cylinder barrel, and the pilot's inability to retract the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2002 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Swanzey, New Hampshire · Dillant Hopkins Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N6688D · no longer on the register · serial TJ-242
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The six-passenger airplane arrived at the departure airport with a malfunctioning landing gear system. Due to lack of maintenance personnel, the pilot elected to conduct the accident flight with the landing gear extended. The airplane departed with seven occupants, near the certified gross weight. Witnesses observed the airplane flying about 200-300 feet above the ground, with its engines "sputtering and backfiring." The airplane made a left turn towards the airport, descended, and came to rest in a wooded area about 2 miles southeast of the airport. Examination of the right engine revealed the propeller was not feathered, and the number 5 cylinder head was fractured about 3/4 inch from the bottom of the upper portion of the head. A fatigue fracture initiated in the root radius of the cylinder head thread that engaged with the top thread on the cylinder barrel. Indentations and displaced material on the upper and lower flanks of the cylinder head threads matched with the locations of protruding material observed on the cylinder barrel threads. The protruding material was located on the flank/crown radius of the threads, and was consistent with the folding over of a burr into the thread, originating during the manufacturing process. The number 5 cylinder assembly consisted of a new cylinder head that had been installed on a remanufactured barrel. The right engine was remanufactured in 2001, and had accumulated about 140 total hours of operation since. According to 14 CFR Part 91.7, "No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition. The pilot in command of a civil aircraft is responsible for determining whether that aircraft is in condition for safe flight. The pilot in command shall discontinue the flight when unairworthy mechanical, electrical, or structural conditions occur." According to 14 CFR Part 91.107, "...each person on board a U.S.-registered civil aircraft must occupy an approved seat or berth with a safety belt...during movement on the surface, takeoff, and landing." According to the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3), Transition to a Multiengine Airplanes, "When one engine fails on a multiengine airplane, performance is not halved, but is reduced by approximately 80 percent."
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,284 hours in all; 1,066 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 8, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,699 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 4, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 6,240 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EEN at 2:58 pm
- Destination: CRW Charleston WV
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from EEN, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.