Beech A60 accident near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, November 21, 1992
On November 21, 1992 at about 5:35 pm local time, a Beech A60, registered N100EK, was destroyed in an accident near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, HIS FAILURE TO PREVENT THE AIRCRAFT FROM EXCEEDING THE NEVER EXCEED SPEED (VNE), AND SUBSEQUENT EXCEEDING OF THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: WEATHER CONDITIONS (INCLUDING ICING CONDITIONS), IMPROPER AIRSPEED, AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASON(S).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 1992 · about 5:35 pm local time
- Place
- Snoqualmie Pass, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A60 · all A60s on the register
- Registration
- N100EK · no longer on the register · serial P-209
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CLIMBING IN MOD ICING CONDS AFTER TAKEOFF, PLT WAS CLEARED TO 17,000'. RADAR DATA SHOWED ACFT CLIMBED AT AN INDCD AIRSPEED (IAS) OF 82 TO 123 KTS. A BEECH SAFETY INFO BOOKLET STATED THAT A MIN AIRSPEED OF 140 KTS MUST BE MAINTAINED IN ICING CONDS. CLIMBING AT REDUCED AIRSPEED WOULD HAVE INCREASED ANGLE OF ATTACK & ALLOWED ICE TO ACCUMULATE UNDER THE WINGS & AFT OF THE DE-ICING BOOTS. ACFT CLIMBED TO 13,500', DESCENDED MOMENTARILY TO 13,300', THEN CONTINUED CLIMBING AS AIRSPEED DECREASED ABRUPTLY. AFTER SLOWING TO 60 KTS IAS AT 13,700', THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP DESCENDING TURN & ACCELERATED TO HIGH SPEED (ABOVE VNE). AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED, STATING THE AIRCRAFT 'LOST AN ENGINE.' SOON THERE- AFTER, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST & THE ACFT CRASHED. PIECES OF EMPENNAGE SURFACES SEPARATED IN FLIGHT & WERE FOUND AT REMOTE LOCATION FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. BOTH COUNTERWEIGHTS SEPARATED FROM THE ELEVATORS. POST-CRASH TESTS DISCLOSED NO MECHANICAL EVIDENCE OF ENGINE MALFUNCTION. LOW CEILING, FOG, LIGHT RAIN, SNOW & ICING CONDITIONS WERE RPRTD IN AREA.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,250 hours in all; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 17, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 6,725 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BFI Seattle WA at 5:19 pm
- Destination: PUW Pullman WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 0.1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:09 pm from SMP, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.