Beech 99 incident near Portland, Maine, September 2, 1987
On September 2, 1987 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Beech 99, registered N204BH, was involved in an incident near Portland, Maine. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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 incident. 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 2, 1987 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Portland, Maine
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 99 · all 99s on the register
- Registration
- N204BH · registry record · serial U-47
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS CRUISING AT 2500 FT WITH NO PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE CO-PILOT WENT INTO THE CABIN AND NOTICED A LOUD HISSING NOISE AROUND THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. HE CHECKED THE HANDLE AND LOCKING PINS AND NOTICED THE DOOR WAS LOCKED. HE TOLD THE CAPTAIN WHO DIRECTED HIM TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE CAPTAIN WENT BACK INTO THE CABIN TO CHECK THE DOOR. THE CAPTAIN SAID HE MAY HAVE BUMPED THE DOOR AND IT FLEW OPEN. HE WAS TANGLED UP IN THE DOOR CABLES AND STAYED WITH THE AIRCRAFT. HE RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE CO-PILOT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING AFTER DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. THE DOOR WAS EXAMINED AND NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND WITH THE DOOR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE WITHOUT REPAIR. BEECH AIRCRAFT COMPANY SAID THERE WOULD BE A 127 LB FORCE PULLING THE DOOR OUTWARD AT 200 KTAS AND 2500 FT. THE FLIGHT CREW HAD REPORTED THEY WERE IN NORMAL CRUISE WHEN THE DOOR OPENED.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,351 hours in all; 2,731 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 102 in the last 30 days; 3,778 as pilot in command; 1,015 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28,700 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, July 1, 1987; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,400 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT-6-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bar Harbor Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: LEW Auburn ME
- Destination: BOS Boston MA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from PWM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N204BH 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.