Beech BE-A55 accident near Dunkirk, New York, May 17, 2007
On May 17, 2007 at about 1:37 pm local time, a Beech BE-A55, registered CFDJP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dunkirk, New York (Chautauqua County airport). It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a single-engine missed approach, after the failure of the airplane's left engine aft-top counterweight assembly. Contributing to the accident were instrument meteorological conditions due to clouds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 2007 · about 1:37 pm local time
- Place
- Dunkirk, New York · Chautauqua County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-A55
- Registration
- CFDJP · no longer on the register · serial TC311
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a left engine failure while en route to its destination and diverted to another airport. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and the airplane was observed exiting the clouds in level flight, about one-half to three-quarters beyond the approach end of the intended landing runway. The pilot attempted a missed approach and the airplane made a climbing left turn, and entered clouds. Shortly thereafter, the airplane was observed descending toward the ground in a flat spin. The airplane impacted in a wooded area about 1/2-mile south-southwest of the approach end of the runway. Examination of the left engine revealed the propeller was at or near the feathered position. An approximate 5.5-inch hole was observed in the crankcase, above the number 1 cylinder, which was attributed to the separation of the aft-top counterweight assembly. No other mechanical failures were observed. This was the airplane's first flight after an annual inspection. The engines had been operating for approximately 308 hours since they were disassembled and inspected after the airplane sustained a gear-up landing. At that time, the work performed on the left engine included the installation of new snap rings on the counterweight assemblies.
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: 1,432 hours in all; 14 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,206 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2007; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,880 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYOO Oshawa at 12:30 pm
- Destination: KILG Wilmington DE
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:36 pm from DKK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.