Beechcraft D55 N8450N

Summary

On 26 May 1989 at about 19:30 local time, a Beechcraft D55 registered N8450N was involved in an accident near Greenwood, Indiana, United States. 5 people were on board and 2 died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 May 1989 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenwood, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

39.6099, -86.1106

Aircraft

Beechcraft D55

Registration

N8450N

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Crawfordsville → Indianapolis

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MKC89FA116

2 people died.

INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT AND IMPROPER USE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION, AND IMPROPER USE OF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: SELF INDUCED PRESSURE BY THE PILOT TO MEET AN ARRIVAL TIME, HIS FAILURE TO EXTEND THE FLAPS BEFORE LANDING, AND THE OBSTRUCTIONS (TREE STUMP, STACK OF BRICKS, AND FENCING/BACKSTOP) IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT & PAX WERE ON A FLT FM SIOUX FALLS (FSD), SD TO INDIANAPOLIS (IND), IN, TO ATND THE INDY 500 RACE. SINCE TFC WASHVY, AN ARRIVAL RESERVATION PROGRAM WAS IN EFFECT AT IND. THE PLT RPRTD HE DEPD FSD WITH THE MAIN FUEL TANKS FULL & THE AUX TANKS FILLED TO ABT 2' BLO THE FILLER NECKS. AN UNSCHED STOP WAS MADE AT CRAWFORDSVILLE (CFJ), APRX 35 MI NW OF IND.AT CFJ, THE PLT ORDERED FUEL & CALLED FSS TO GET A NEW ARRIVAL TIME AT IND, BUT DIDN'T VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL BFR TAKE-OFF. WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 31 APCH TO IND, THE PLT RPRTD A MAJOR FUEL PROBLEM. WITNESSES HEARD THE ENG(S) LOSING PWR. THE ACFT WAS MNVRD TO LND IN A SPORTS FLD; HOWEVER, IT IMPACTED SHORT OF THE FLD & HIT A STUMP, STACK OF BRICKS & FENCING/BACKSTOP BFR COMING TO REST ON FIRE. NO PREIMPACT MECH PRBLM WAS FND. THE FLAPS & LNDG GEAR WERE FND RETRACTED. THE FBO AT CFJ STATED THE OUTBOARD (AUX) TANKS SVCD WITH 55 GAL OF FUEL PER P INSTRUCTIONS (MAINS NOT SVCD). THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE FND PSND TO THE MAIN TANKS. FUEL SAMPLES CHECKED NORMAL, THOUGH FUEL ATNDNT INDCD PSBL JET FUEL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.