Beech 18T accident near Cleveland, Ohio, December 15, 1992
On December 15, 1992 at about 2:12 pm local time, a Beech 18T, registered N706M, was destroyed in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland-Hopkins airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE ELEVATOR BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND THE LACK OF PROPER INSPECTIONS BY A COMPANY CERTIFIED MECHANIC/INSPECTOR AND THE FAA CERTIFIED MECHANIC WITH INSPECTOR AUTHORIZATION. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS AN INSUFFICIENTLY DEFINED MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES THAT ALLOWED MULTIPLE MAINTENANCE TASKS TO BE COMBINED INTO A SINGLE LINE ENTRY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1992 · about 2:12 pm local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cleveland-Hopkins
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 18T
- Registration
- N706M · registry record · serial 12360
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER ROTATION, DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE PITCHED UP TO APPROXIMATELY 60 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO CLIMB UNTIL ABOUT 250 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THEN ROLLED RIGHT, PITCHED DOWN AND DESCENDED. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND, APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES NOSE DOWN, 650 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE ELEVATOR JAMMED IN THE FULL UP DEFLECTION. THE UPPER END OF THE ELEVATOR CONTROL ROD WAS FOUND NOT CONNECTED TO THE ELEVATOR, BUT WAS FOUND LAYING AFT, WEDGED BETWEEN THE TAIL CONE AND THE ELEVATOR FARING, HOLDING THE ELEVATOR IN THE FULL UP POSITION. THE CONTROL ROD CONNECTING BOLT WAS FOUND LAYING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TAIL CONE UNDAMAGED. THE WASHER, NUT AND COTTER PIN RELATED TO THE CONTROL ROD CONNECTING BOLT WERE NOT FOUND. THE ELEVATOR HAD BEEN REMOVED, RECOVERED AND THEN INSTALLED BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL 166 FLIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,768 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 123 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 3,832 as pilot in command; 707 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,115 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 7, 1992; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-1 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Mohican Air Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: CLE at 2:11 pm
- Destination: SYR Syracuse NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 7,096 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:25 pm from CLE, 1 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N706M 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.