Beechcraft 70 N11TP

Summary

On 2 August 1989 at about 19:16 local time, a Beechcraft 70 registered N11TP, operated by D.l. Porter Construction, Inc., was involved in an accident near Albany, Georgia, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 August 1989 at 19:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Albany, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Southwest Georgia Rgnl (ABY)

Coordinates

31.5893, -84.2110

Aircraft

Beechcraft 70

Registration

N11TP

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

D.l. Porter Construction, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Akron

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL89FA188

6 people died.

THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE SUPERCHARGER INTERMEDIATE DRIVE GEAR SHAFT (GEAR TOOTH), WHICH RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER, AND THE PILOT'S INITIATION OF LIFT-OFF BEFORE REACHING VMC AIRSPEED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE WORN INTERMEDIATE DRIVE GEAR SHAFT, THE PILOT'S OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT ABOVE ITS MAXIMUM CERTIFIED GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT, AND THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING TAKEOFF, THE ACFT ROLLED ABRUPTLY TO THE RIGHT AFTER LIFT-OFF. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK THE SURFACE, THEN THE ACFT CARTWHEELED & CRASHED. THE FUSELAGE WAS DESTROYED BY A POST-CRASH FIRE. AN EXAM OF THE ENGS REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT ENG SUPERCHARGER INTERMEDIATE DRIVE GEAR SHAFT HAD BECOME WORN & ONE OF ITS GEAR TEETH HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT AN OUT-OF-MESH CONDITION OCCURRED, WHICH RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENG POWER DURING TAKEOFF. ALSO, THE ACFT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 679 LBS OVER ITS MAX CERTIFIED GROSS WEIGHT. DENSITY ALT WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 2000 FT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.