Skip to content

Atlas / NTSB / NYC92LA137

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event NYC92LA137

1992-08-01 LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, United States Airport · LOU Minor 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N983DB

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

BEECH B36TC

Year of manufacture

2000

Engine

CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER (300 hp)

Seats / Engines

6 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20000825

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S ADB696

Registrant of record

BUNKE JIM BRADLEY

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

IMPROPER USE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BY THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER, AND THE FAILURE OF THE OWNER/OPERATOR TO ADEQUATELY SUPERVISE THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF AIRPLANE FOR THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER, AND THE LACK OF A RESTRAINT SYSTEM FOR THE PASSENGER.

Factual narrative

THE OWNER, SEATED IN THE RIGHT SEAT ALLOWED A PROSPECTIVE BUYER SEATED IN THE LEFT SEAT TO MAKE THE TAKEOFF. AFTER GETTING AIRBORNE, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO PITCH UP TO A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE, FALL OFF ON A WING AND THEN STRIKE THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER HAD NO PREVIOUS TIME IN THE AIRPLANE, AND WAS A PRIVATE PILOT WITH 150 HOURS TOTAL TIME. THE OWNER/OPERATOR HAS LESS THAN 100 HOURS TOTAL TIME AND WAS UNRESTRAINED IN THE AIRPLANE WHICH WAS EQUIPPED WITH ONLY ONE SET OF SEAT BELTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_NYC92LA137.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.