Rockwell 114 accident near Bedford, Pennsylvania, August 4, 1986
On August 4, 1986 at about 4:30 am local time, a Rockwell 114, registered N5766N, was destroyed in an accident near Bedford, Pennsylvania (Bedford airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were 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
- August 4, 1986 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Bedford, Pennsylvania · Bedford · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 114
- Registration
- N5766N · no longer on the register · serial 14350
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT NEARING THE CLOSE OF A X-COUNTRY FLIGHT HAD REQUESTED A DECENT TO START AN APPROACH TO LAND AT ITS FINAL DESTINATION. ATC HAD GRANTED THE REQUEST, BUT STATED TO THE PILOT THAT HE MOST REMAIN VFR, THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE. ACFT WAS LOCATED TWO DAYS LATER IN HIGH HEAVYLY WOODED TERRAIN. PLT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE EJECTED FROM THE ACFT AND SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THREE PILOTS WERE ON BOARD THE ACFT. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHO WAS THE PIC.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,780 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 7, 1986; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,272 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540T4B5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Destination: 4G9 Bedford PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.