Beech 95-B55 accident near Saranac Lake, New York, April 18, 2007
On April 18, 2007 at about 5:14 pm local time, a Beech 95-B55, registered N868ST, was destroyed in an accident near Saranac Lake, New York (Saranac Lake 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 pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2007 · about 5:14 pm local time
- Place
- Saranac Lake, New York · Saranac Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 · all 95-B55s on the register
- Registration
- N868ST · no longer on the register · serial TC-1178
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon takeoff, the twin-engine airplane abruptly climbed, and 300 to 500 feet in the air, made a sharp left turn and descended nose-down into the ground. Examinations of the wreckage and engines revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. There were also no medical anomalies noted with the pilot. The pilot was the owner of the airplane, and held a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating. No records could be found to substantiate the pilot's currency.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLK Saranac Lake NY at 5:14 pm
- Destination: FTT Fulton MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 6,573 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots, gusting 36
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,400 ft; a few clouds at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from SLK
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.