- Date
- August 23, 1990, 17:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 4 serious, 8 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N80RDGrumman G-159
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900823035319A
- Case key
- 23186
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
Partial failure of the left engine fuel pump, which resulted in a partial loss of power in the left engine, but not enough of a power loss to trigger and/or complete the autofeathering operation of the left propeller, thus allowing insufficient time for the crew to manually feather the propeller or attain VMC (for the aircraft configured with an unfeathered propeller).
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 passengers & witnesses reported that during takeoff, the aircraft yawed both left & right after lift-off. It then veered to the left & contacted the ground in a left wing low attitude between the runway & a parallel taxiway. An investigation revealed evidence that the left engine had sustained a partial loss of power due to a malfunctioning fuel pump. There were indications the power loss was not sufficient to trigger or allow completion of the autofeathering operation of the left propeller. Feathering of the left propeller had been manually initiated, but the propeller had not reached the feather position before impact. Manual feathering operation required the feathering pump button be held about 5 sec. 'V' speeds (KIAS) for this flt were: V1 92, vr 99, V2 110, normal vmca (dead engine propeller feathered, flaps set for takeoff & aircraft out of ground effect) 101, vmca (dead engine propeller unfeathered/windmilling & flaps set for takeoff) 127 KTS. Exam of the actuators revealed the gear was retracted & the flaps were set for takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80RD
- Reported as
- Grumman G-159
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 198
- Airframe hours
- 5,343
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 529-8X, 2,185 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Rowan Companies
- Registered owner
- Rdc Marine, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 3, 1990 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- IAH
- Destination
- MSY · New Orleans, LA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- IAH · Houston Intl, runway 14L, 12,000 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 20,200 total · 760 in this make and model · 17,500 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- IAH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.