Beech A24R accident near Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, October 20, 1988
On October 20, 1988 at about 8:34 pm local time, a Beech A24R, registered N1RJ, was destroyed in an accident near Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. 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
IMPROPER VFR PROCEDURES, THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTIAN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED FOR THE ATTITUDE OF FLIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE CAUSING IT TO STALL AND COLLIDE WITH TREES AND A POWERLINE DURING RECOVERY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 1988 · about 8:34 pm local time
- Place
- Blue Bell, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A24R · all A24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N1RJ · registry record · serial MC-99
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER FLYING IFR FROM ROCHESTER, NEW YORK TO THE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA AREA, THE PILOT CANCELLED IFR AND FLEW A VFR LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 24 AT BLUE BELL AIRPORT. WITNESSES SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED LOW AND CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT FOR A DOWNWIND. DURING THE BASE LEG TURN TO THE LEFT THE ANGLE OF BANK INCREASED TO ABOUT SIXTY DEGREES. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BELOW THE TREE LINE.
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: 478 hours in all; 383 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,592 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 1988; 167 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ROC Rochester NY at 6:43 pm
- Destination: N67 Blue Bell PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- 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.
Other NTSB records under N1RJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC89FA015.