Beech 58F accident near Titusville, Pennsylvania, September 24, 1984
On September 24, 1984 at about 12:20 pm local time, a Beech 58F, registered N72053, was destroyed in an accident near Titusville, Pennsylvania (Titusville airport). It was a personal 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
- September 24, 1984 · about 12:20 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Pennsylvania · Titusville
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58F · all 58Fs on the register
- Registration
- N72053 · registry record · serial TJ-459
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT STATED THAT DURING FINAL APPROACH WITH A RIGHT QUARTERING CROSSWIND, THE ACFT PASSED AN OPENING IN THE TREES TO THE RIGHT (FORMER INTERSECTING RUNWAY) AND THE SUDDEN INCREASE IN CROSSWIND COMPONENT CAUSED THE ACFT TO DRIFT LEFT. PLT STATED HE ELECTED TO MAKE A GO-AROUND BUT BEFORE POWER COULD BE APPLIED, THE LEFT WING TIP STRUCK A DIRT EMBANKMENT PARALLELING THE RUNWAY. PLT CLOSED THE THROTTLES AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CRASH LAND BESIDE THE RUNWAY. LNGD GEAR COLLAPSED ON TOUCHDOWN DUE TO ACFT ATTITUDE (YAW) AND ROUGH TERRAIN. A SMALL FIRE FROM SHORTED WIRING IN THE LEFT WING TIP STROBE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY HAND.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,552 hours in all; 49 in this make and model; 127 in the last 90 days; 2,409 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 70 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-WB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BUF Buffalo NY at 11:20 am
- Destination: OPN9 Titusville PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,900 ft by 74 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots, gusting 1
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 900 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:30 am
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.