Beech F33A accident near Wildwood, New Jersey, September 24, 1999
On September 24, 1999 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Beech F33A, registered N100LK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wildwood, New Jersey (Cape May County 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 pilot's improper recover from a bounced landing. A factor related to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention due to the loss of a spouse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 1999 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wildwood, New Jersey · Cape May County Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F33A · all F33As on the register
- Registration
- N100LK · registry record · serial 686
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed using the entire runway and returned to land. The airplane touched down about mid-field on the runway, then began to bounce several times for the whole length of the runway before gaining a positive climb rate. The airplane continued around the pattern for a second approach, touched down again about mid-field, and began to bounce several times, before it continued off the end of the runway. A day after the accident the pilot explained that 'he had lost his wife last week who he had been with since 1934.' He additionally stated that 'people make too many excuses today for their actions, and this accident was just plain and simply his fault.' The pilot had accumulated a total experience of about 16,000 flight hours. He had flown a total of 73 hours in the F33A, 6 hours of which were in the last 90 days.
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: 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: 15,821 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 13,000 as pilot in command; 7,100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,612 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 1999; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental 10-550-B4F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WWD at 3:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 4,998 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from WWD, 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.
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.