Beechcraft C90A N1552D
2 January 1997 · Rio Grande City, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 2 January 1997 at about 14:45 local time, a Beechcraft C90A registered N1552D, operated by Raytheon Aircraft Services, was involved in an accident near Rio Grande City, Texas, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 14:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Rio Grande City, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 26.5491, -98.7205
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft C90A
- Registration
- N1552D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Raytheon Aircraft Services
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- San Antonio → Rio Grande City
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW97LA074
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the tower. Factors were the low ceilings and the pilot's diverted attention to his navigation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot planned to navigate south along the road for approximately 25 nautical miles to the Starr County Airport, near Rio Grande City. The pilot stated that while en route to the airport, at an estimated altitude of 1,000 feet MSL, the left engine propeller impacted guide wires and the outer portion of the right wing impacted a tower. According to the Brownsville sectional chart, the tower, which is located on the west side of the road, is 1,002 feet MSL high (519 feet AGL). The pilot reported that he 'checked [the] map to track his position along highway 755, and when he looked up, the tower was right in front, too late to take evasive action.' The pilot also reported that after the collision with the tower, he aborted the approach and proceeded to the McCallen Miller International Airport, where after extending the landing gear manually, an uneventful landing was made.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Beechcraft C90A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov 1997 | Beechcraft C90A | Chicago, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 1994 | Beechcraft C90A | Janesville, Wisconsin, United States | University of North Dakota | No injuries | - |
| 12 Oct 1993 | Beechcraft C90A | Napa, California, United States | Iasco | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 2004 | Beechcraft C90A | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 2006 | Beechcraft C90A | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | Carolina Air Charter, Inv | No injuries | - |
| 15 Feb 2006 | Beechcraft C90A | Tampa, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1997 | Aero Commander CALLAIR A-9B | El Indio, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1997 | Cessna 182Q | Sugar Land, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-28RT-201 | Whitewright, Texas, United States | Centerline Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 1997 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Edna, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 1997 | Cessna 152 | Gorman, Texas, United States | Spencer Jones | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1997 | Cessna 152 | Fort Worth, Texas, United States | Bridgeport Flight Training | Minor injuries | - |