Beechcraft BE-76 N1812S

Summary

On 19 August 2003 at about 05:01 local time, a Beechcraft BE-76 registered N1812S was involved in an accident near Hammond, Minnesota, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 August 2003 at 05:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Hammond, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

44.3611, -92.7208

Aircraft

Beechcraft BE-76

Registration

N1812S

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Watertown → Moline

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI03LA267

Nobody was injured.

The pilot exceeded the design limits of the wings when he pulled out of an inadvertent spiral after he lost control of the airplane while operating in IMC conditions. Additional factors included the pilot's flight from VMC to IMC conditions, the turbulence in clouds, and lightning.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained substantial damage during a departure from controlled flight and subsequent recovery while in instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot reported that he was attempting to remain in visual meteorological conditions by deviating around thunderstorms. He reported the flight was at 7,000 feet mean seal level when the airplane entered a cloud. The pilot stated he "had been hand flying the airplane for several minutes when we hit a couple of waves of heavier turbulence followed by nearby lightning flash." The pilot reported the heavier turbulence resulted in an altitude loss of approximately 100 feet. The pilot was reportedly attempting to correct for the altitude loss when the airplane departed from controlled flight. The pilot reported he felt the airplane had entered a spiral/spin. He stated he was able to recover, returned to level flight, and continued on to his destination at the assigned altitude. He made an uneventful landing. He departed the airplane and discovered the airplane's wings were "wrinkled".

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.