ATL87LA143

NTSB accident investigation · Beech B100 · Birmingham, AL · May 19, 1987

Accident · FatalLimited investigationFinal report
Date
May 19, 1987, 06:25 local (11:25 UTC)
Place
Birmingham, AL
Injuries
1 fatal, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 fatal
Damage
Minor damage
Phase of flight
Standing
Aircraft
N753DBeech B100
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
Status
Completed · report May 27, 1988
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19870519014139A
Case key
7430

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Propeller/rotor contact to personStanding - engine(s) operating
Procedures/directives - not followedGround personnelCause
Impairment(drugs)Ground personnelFactor
InattentiveGround personnelFactor

Analysis

The lineman walked into the prop arc of the operating rt engine and was fatally injured after disconnecting a ground power unit (gpu) cable from the rt engine nacelle. The lineman initially approached the nacelle from the rear, but walked forward into the prop arc after disconnect. The fbo's reported normal procedure for gpu disconnect ops on this acft directed personnel to approach and depart the nacelle area from the rear. The plt reported that the lineman had performed gpu disconnect procedures on this acft without any problem on several previous occasions. Toxicological analysis was performed on blood and urine samples from the lineman: a level of greater than 50 ng/ml carboxy thc was reported to exist in the urine sample. The report noted that levels of greater than 50 ng/ml carboxy thc are 'typically associated with very recent use' (of marijuana). Additionally, cocaine and marijuana metabolites were detected in the lineman's blood sample.

Aircraft

Registration
N753D
Reported as
Beech B100
Category
Airplane
Serial number
BE-98
Airframe hours
1,735
Engine
Airesearch TPE331-6-252B, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Minor damage
Flight
Positioning · Part 91
Operator
Jetco, Inc.
Registered owner
B100 Corporation
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Unknown · April 30, 1987
Destination
MOB · Mobile, AL
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
BHM · Birmingham Municipal

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
48
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
15,669 total · 227 in this make and model · 15,469 as pilot in command · 163 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
Wind
150° at 4 knots
Visibility
2 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
500 ft overcast
Temperature
70 °F, dew point 70 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
BHM

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.