Beech BE60 accident near Robbinsville, New Jersey, May 16, 1983
On May 16, 1983 at about 4:10 pm local time, a Beech BE60, registered N821BE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Robbinsville, New Jersey. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1983 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Robbinsville, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE60
- Registration
- N821BE · registry record · serial P-593
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED DURING RECOVERY FROM A DESCENDING RIGHT SPIRAL THAT OCCURRED AS THE FLT PASSED THRU FLT LEVEL 190. AS THE PLT RECVD FROM THE DESCENDING SPIRAL THE INBOARD AND OUTBOARD AILERON HINGE RIVETS WERE SHEARED. THE ALTITUDE DEVIATION OCCURRED IN IMC WEATHER. AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED WITH ATC. VECTORS WERE PROVIDED TO JFK APRT FOR A VFR LANDING. THE FLT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT AS THE ACFT CLIMBED THROUGH 19000FT AT 100 KTS A LOUD BANK WAS HEARD AND THE ACFT STARTED SHAKING. THE PLT DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND LOWERED THE NOSE. HE STATED THE ACFT ENTERED A RIGHT DESCENDING SPIRAL. HE COULD NOT MOVE THE AILERON AND RECOVERED WITH RUDDER AND ELEVATOR. THE RIGHT AILERON ROD AND HINGES WERE EXAMINED AND THE FAILURES WERE FOUND TO BE SHEAR FROM DUCTILE OVERLOAD. THE FAILED RIVETS MET SPECIFICATIONS FOR HARDNESS TESTS.
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: 535 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,775 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1A4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FRG Farmingdale NY
- Destination: IND Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from JFK, 40 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.
Other NTSB records under N821BE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.