Beech BE-200 accident near New Castle, Delaware, June 16, 1992
On June 16, 1992 at about 6:47 pm local time, a Beech BE-200, registered N32HG, was destroyed in an accident near New Castle, Delaware (New Castle County airport). It was a business 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 PILOT'S IMPROPER EXECUTION OF AN EMERGENCY PROCEDURE, AFTER AN ENGINE FAILURE, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRSPEED AND SUBSEQUENT STALL AT AN ALTITUDE TOO LOW FOR RECOVERY. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF A COMPRESSOR TURBINE BLADE AND THE SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 1992 · about 6:47 pm local time
- Place
- New Castle, Delaware · New Castle County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-200
- Registration
- N32HG · registry record · serial BB-146
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ON A 'NORMAL' FINAL APPROACH, THEN SAW IT DROP 'LOW AND SLOW, RETRACT THE GEAR AND ROLL TO THE LEFT INTO THE TREES.' EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINES REVEALED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE FAILED BECAUSE OF A FATIGUE FAILURE OF A COMPRESSOR TURBINE BLADE. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE USE OF FULL POWER. THE AIRCREW WAS EXPERIENCED AND WELL TRAINED. THE RADAR DATA CONFIRMED A DROP IN AIRSPEED JUST BEFORE THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE TREES.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,378 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 9,941 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,718 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 12, 1992; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-41 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Omega Air INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MTN Baltimore MD at 6:05 pm
- Destination: ILG New Castle DE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 7,002 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.