Beech 35-C33 accident near Concord, New Hampshire, December 15, 1990
On December 15, 1990 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Beech 35-C33, registered N8696Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Concord, New Hampshire (Concord airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER STARTING PROCEDURE USED BY THE PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1990 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Concord, New Hampshire · Concord
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-C33 · all 35-C33s on the register
- Registration
- N8696Q · registry record · serial CD938
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SAID HE WAS PREPARING FOR A PERSONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HE HAD ACCOMPLISHED HIS CHECKLIST UP TO THE ENGINE START PROCEDURE WHEN THE STARTER SYSTEM APPEARED TO BE MALFUNCTIONING. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS CHOCKED, THE BRAKES WERE NOT SET, THE THROTTLE WAS ABOUT ONE INCH, AND THE ELECTRICAL SWITCHES WERE OFF. HE TURNED THE PROPELLER COUNTER CLOCKWISE, TWO SEPARATE TIMES TO SEE IF ANOTHER PLACE ON THE FLYWHEEL WOULD MAKE A DIFERENCE. ON HIS WAY BACK TO THE CABIN, THE ENGINE COUGHED AND STARTED INADVERTENTLY, JUMPED THE CHOCK AND TAXIED ACROSS THE AIRPORT FASTER THAN HE COULD RUN AND CATCH IT. IT HIT A RUNWAY LIGHT, RAN OVER A CHAIN LINK FENCE, AND HIT TREES BEFORE IT STOPPED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE STARTER SYSTEM WAS NOT TESTED POST CRASH.
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: 612 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 493 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1990; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from CON
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.