- Date
- August 9, 1990, 23:45 local (Aug 10, 1990, 03:45 UTC)
- Place
- Greenwood, SC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N563WBeech E18S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900809031759A
- Case key
- 8146
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper emergency procedure by shutting down the wrong engine, which resulted in a forced landing. Factors related to the accident were: failure of the number three intake valve in the right engine due to fatigue, and trees in the emergency landing area.
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.
Analysis
The right engine lost power during the initial climb after lift-off. A witness heard a noise & observed flames coming from the right engine cowling as the airplane climbed. The airplane entered a turn after climbing about 200 ft, descended through a small grove of trees, crashed in a pasture, and burned. During takeoff, the plane's gross weight was about 11,050 lbs & the CG was behind the aft limit. Its maximum certified weight limit was 9700 lbs. The pilot was aware of a gross weight problem before takeoff. An exam revealed evidence that the left engine propeller was in the feathered position & the right propeller was not feathered at impact. A check of the right engine disclosed that the number 3 cylinder intake valve had failed from fatigue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N563W
- Reported as
- Beech E18S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BA-139
- Airframe hours
- 10,323
- Engine
- P&W R-985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Royal Air Freight
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 9, 1990 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- GRD · Greenwood, SC
- Destination
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- GRD · Greenwood County, runway 9, 4,993 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 900 in this make and model · 299 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AND, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.