Beechcraft 58 N721MD

Summary

On 19 November 1995 at about 22:39 local time, a Beechcraft 58 registered N721MD, operated by MRD Leasing, was involved in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio, United States. 5 people were on board and 3 died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 November 1995 at 22:39

Classification

Accident

Location

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Burk Lakefront (BKL)

Coordinates

41.5198, -81.6806

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58

Registration

N721MD

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

MRD Leasing

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Raleigh-Durham

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

BFO96FA022

3 people died.

the pilot's improper IFR procedure, by failing to maintain a positive rate of climb (and terrain clearance) after takeoff. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, and the lack of visual references over water and under overcast cloud conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot received a weather briefing and filed an IFR flight plan for a night/cross-country flight. For departure from runway 24R, he was given clearance for a right turn after takeoff to a heading of 350, then he was cleared for takeoff. The tower controller stated that after the airplane was airborne, he instructed the pilot to contact departure control. The pilot acknowledged, then no further transmission was received from the plane. The controller last saw the airplane at an altitude of about 100 to 200 feet AGL, near the end of the 6,198 foot runway, when it began a right turn to a northerly heading. He then diverted his attention to other work. Subsequently, the airplane crashed on a lake north of the airport. Two passengers survived. They noted no problem with the pilot or airplane before water contact. No preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane was found. The pilot of another airplane, who departed shortly after the accident flight, reported he was disoriented when he turned north during departure. He stated there was no visible horizon, overcast clouds blocked light from above, and there were no lights from below. Due to darkness over the lake, he had to '...stay on the instruments...until above the overcast.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.