Beech A36 accident near Topsfield, Massachusetts, October 9, 1993
On October 9, 1993 at about 1:00 am local time, a Beech A36, registered N6AP, was destroyed in an accident near Topsfield, Massachusetts (Beverly Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED IFR PROCEDURE, AND HIS FAILURE TO CORRECT A SPIRAL AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 1993 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Topsfield, Massachusetts · Beverly Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N6AP · registry record · serial E-1881
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS RETURNING TO HIS TEMPORARY RESIDENCE AFTER THE 1ST DAY OF A PILOT PROFICIENCY COURSE. HIS ROUTE TOOK HIM OVER THE LWM VOR, WHERE HE WAS TO TRACK LEFT (ON 145 DEG COURSE) & INTERCEPT THE LOCALIZER (LOC) 157 DEGREE COURSE TO THE AIRPORT, VIA THE FINAL APPROACH FIX (FAF). THE FAF WAS ABOUT HALF WAY BETWEEN THE LWM VOR & THE AIRPORT. THE LOC & VOR EACH HAD DME. AFTER INTERCEPTING A 157 DEG COURSE TO THE VOR, THE PLANE CROSSED THE VOR & CONTINUED ON THE VOR 157 DEG RADIAL, PARALLELING THE LOC COURSE. AFTER PASSING THE VOR, THE PILOT REPORTED HIS DME FROM THE LWM VOR, RATHER THAN FROM THE LOC DME AT THE AIRPORT. HE REMAINED ABOVE THE 1800' MSL CROSSING ALTITUDE UNTIL ABOUT 2 MI PAST THE FAF. ABOUT 3 MI PAST THE FAF, THE AIRPLANE TURNED LEFT 27 DEGREES, FLEW ACROSS THE LOC COURSE, THEN BEGAN A DESCENDING RIGHT TURN. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AS THE PLANE DESCENDED BELOW 900'. IT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A DESCENDING RIGHT TURN. THE 2112 EDT WEATHER AT THE AIRPORT WAS IN PART: 100' OBSCURED, VIBILITY 1/4 MI WITH FOG.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,941 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 13, 1993; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CON Concord NH
- Destination: BVY Beverly MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 4,634 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 100 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:12 am from BVY, 2 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.
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 NYC94FA007.