- Date
- May 26, 1989, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Greenwood, IN
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 3 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8450NBeech D55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 22, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890526012969A
- Case key
- 34685
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
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.
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 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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8450N
- Reported as
- Beech D55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-569
- Airframe hours
- 5,487
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hegg International, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 9, 1988 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- CFJ · Crawfordsville, IN
- Destination
- IND · Indianapolis, IN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- runway 31, 7,604 × 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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 10 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.