Beechcraft B-60 N78TW

Summary

On 20 June 1989 at about 20:42 local time, a Beechcraft B-60 registered N78TW, operated by Maurice J. Walsh, III, was involved in an accident near Gaston, South Carolina, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 June 1989 at 20:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Gaston, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Columbia Metro (CAE)

Coordinates

33.8103, -81.0997

Aircraft

Beechcraft B-60

Registration

N78TW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Maurice J. Walsh, III

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gastonia → Fort Pierce

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL89FA165

4 people died.

THE PILOT EXERCISED QUESTIONABLE JUDGEMENT IN INITIATING A FLIGHT INTO AN AREA OF KNOWN THUNDERSTORMS. FURTHER, EITHER DELIBERATELY OR INADVERTANTLY ENTERED A THUNDERSTORM AND OVERSTRESSED THE AIRFRAME STRUCTURE RESULTING IN AN INFLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE AERODYNAMIC SURFACES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING IN WHICH HE WAS INFORMED OF THUNDERSTORMS AND CURRENT SIGMETS FOR HIS INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART HIS HOME AIRPORT ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT. AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE, WITNESSES INDICATED THE PRESENCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER TRYING TO OBTAIN HIS IFR CLEARANCE FROM CHARLOTTE, THE PILOT WAS ISSUED HIS IFR CLEARANCE WHEN APPROACHING COLUMBIA, SC. THE PILOT HAD DEVIATED AROUND AT LEAST ONE THUNDERSTORM WHILE APPROACHING COLUMBIA. THE PILOT HAD BEEN CLEARED TO CLIMB TO HIS REQUESTED ALTITUDE OF 17,000 FEET AND HAD REACHED 16,400 WHEN THE RADAR RETURN WAS OBSERVED TO INDICATE A DESCENT AND THEN WAS LOST. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE EXIT THE CLOUDS IN FLAMES. THE EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE HORIZONTAL TAIL HAD SEPARATED FOLLOWED BY THE WINGS AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE. NO EVIDENCE OF SEPARATION DUE TO STRUCTURAL WEAKENING FROM HEATING WAS FOUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.