Beechcraft C-45G N7770B

Summary

On 10 December 1992 at about 20:35 local time, a Beechcraft C-45G registered N7770B, operated by Kalitta Flying Service, was involved in an accident near Elkridge, Maryland, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 December 1992 at 20:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Elkridge, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Balt-Wash Int'l (BWI)

Coordinates

39.2394, -76.6805

Aircraft

Beechcraft C-45G

Registration

N7770B

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Kalitta Flying Service

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dayton → Baltimore

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO93FA016

1 person died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO PROPERLY SECURE THE CARGO, WHICH ALLOWED A SHIFT IN THE CENTER OF GRAVITY DURING A MISSED APPROACH MANEUVER AND RESULTED IN SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND FLYING SPEED. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ASSURE THE AIRPLANE WAS LOADED WITHIN ITS PROPER WEIGHT AND BALANCE LIMITATIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT SUPERVISED THE LOADING OF THE AIRPLANE. ACCORDING TO INFO FROM A PERSON THAT HELPED LOAD THE PLANE, THE BILL OF LADING, AND ACTUAL WEIGHTS AND MEASUREMENTS OF THE CARGO AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PLANE WAS LOADED TO A GROSS WEIGHT OF 11,979 LBS WITH THE CG 2.7 INCHES BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT. AT THE DESTINATION, THE FLIGHT WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS RUNWAY 10 APPROACH. ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT WAS TOLD TO MAKE A MISSED APPROACH DUE TO INADEQUATE SEPARATION FROM TRAFFIC. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT SOON THEREAFTER, RADAR CONTACT WITH THE PLANE WAS LOST. WITNESSES SAW THE PLANE DESCEND FROM A LOW CLOUD LAYER BEFORE IT CRASHED. ONE WITNESS SAID ITS WINGS WERE MOVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND THE PLANE WAS FALLING FASTER THAN IT WAS MOVING FORWARD. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE PLANE HAD IMPACTED IN A FLAT ATTITUDE WITH LITTLE FORWARD MOVEMENT. FOUR CARGO STRAPS WERE FOUND LOOSE WITH NO SIGN OF TENSILE OVERLOAD; 3 OTHERS AND A RESTRAINING BOARD WERE FOUND LOOSE AS IF THEY HAD NOT BEEN USED. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THE WIND WAS FROM 090 DEG AT 21 GUSTING 32 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.