4 fatalities

1973-05-10: Beechcraft 90 King Air (YV-T-ADJ) — Beech Aircraft Corporation — Pratt, United States of America

Pratt, United States of AmericaFlight

On May 10, 1973, a Beechcraft 90 King Air (registration YV-T-ADJ) operated by Beech Aircraft Corporation was involved in an aviation accident near Pratt, United States of America in flight. 4 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loss of control after the pilot-in-command failed to maintain flying speed. The following factors were reported: customer pilot training flight, pilot-in-command non instrument rated, gear down, flaps in approach position, pilot-in-command in right seat. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781232733Data APIEditorial standards

Four people died when a training flight from Wichita crashed near Pratt. The pilot-in-command lost control at low altitude, causing a stall. The aircraft was destroyed.

Accident Details

The accident occurred during a local training flight that departed from Wichita, Kansas. The crew was completing the flight before delivering the aircraft to Venezuela. While cruising at low height, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane. The aircraft stalled and crashed in an open field near Pratt.

Destruction and Fatalities

The airplane was destroyed in the impact. All four occupants were killed.

Circumstances

The flight was conducted as a customer pilot training exercise. The pilot-in-command was not instrument rated and was seated in the right seat. At the time of the loss of control, the landing gear was down and the flaps were in the approach position.

Probable Cause

The official investigation found the probable cause to be loss of control after the pilot-in-command failed to maintain flying speed. The following factors were reported: customer pilot training flight, pilot-in-command non instrument rated, gear down, flaps in approach position, and pilot-in-command in right seat.