Beech E55 accident near Sunderland, Massachusetts, January 31, 1986
On January 31, 1986 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Beech E55, registered N6641A, was destroyed in an accident near Sunderland, Massachusetts (La Fleur 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 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
- January 31, 1986 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Sunderland, Massachusetts · La Fleur
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E55 · all E55s on the register
- Registration
- N6641A · registry record · serial TE-1173
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE ACFT DESCEND VERTICALLY IN A FLAT SPIN UNTIL IMPACT IN OPEN, FLAT TERRAIN. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED APRX 45 MIN AFTER THE PLT HAD TAKEN OFF ON A LOCAL PROFICIENCY FLT. AFTER IMPACT, MOST OF THE AIRFRAME WAS DEMOLISHED BY FIRE. THE LEFT PROP WAS FND IN A FEATHERED POSITION, INDICATING THE ENG HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN BEFORE IMPACT. HOWEVER, NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENG WAS FND DRG THE INVESTIGATION.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,681 hours in all; 343 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,681 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 298 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1985; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-CB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 7B2 Northampton MA at 4:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from BDR, 31 miles away
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.