Beech B36TC accident near Farmingdale, New York, May 30, 1983
On May 30, 1983 at about 1:33 pm local time, a Beech B36TC, registered N837E, was destroyed in an accident near Farmingdale, New York (Republic airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. 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 30, 1983 · about 1:33 pm local time
- Place
- Farmingdale, New York · Republic · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech B36TC · all B36TCs on the register
- Registration
- N837E · no longer on the register · serial EA-339
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A POWERLINE STATIC WIRE DURING AN INSTRUMENT LANDING APPROACH. THE PRIVATE PLT WAS INSTRUMENT RATED AND HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. HE COMMENTED TO THE BRIEFER THAT 'IT DOESN'T SOUND TOO GOOD' AND THAT HE WOULD CALL AGAIN IN AN HOUR OR SO. ABOUT AN HOUR AND ONE HALF LATER HE AIR FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. WHEN HE REACHED HIS DESTINATION HE WAS CLEARED FOR THE ILS APPROACH AND WAS CLEARED TO LAND WHEN HE REPORTED THE OUTER MARKER. THERE WERE NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS RECEIVED FROM THE PLT. RADAR SHOWED THE ACFT ON CENTERLINE AND DECENDING TO 400 FT ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE END OF THE RWY. WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT AT LOW ALT AND SAW IT COLLIDE WITH THE POWERLINE. ONE SAW A BLUE ARC AFTER THE COLLISION. 3 REPORTED AN EXPLOSIVE SOUND AND BLACK SMOKE FOLLOWING THE COLLISION. THE VISIBILITY WAS DESCRIBED AS ONE TO TWO MILES. THE WIRE THAT WAS HIT WAS 78 FT AGL (149 FT MSL). DECISION HEIGHT FOR THE LANDING IS 329 FT AND VISIBILITY ONE MILE. THE ILS SYSTEM HAD BEEN USED SUCCESSFULLY JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 93 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, February 8, 1983; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,866 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-UB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CRE Myrtle Beach SC
- Destination: FRG Farmingdale NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 6,827 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 200 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:34 pm from FRG, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.