Manassas Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Manassas, Virginia 22110
Saturday, March 11, 1989 16:15 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WITNESSES REPORTED THE ACFT TOOK OFF AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 300 FT WHILE IN A WIDE LEFT TURN. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE WINGS WERE ROCKING AND ERRATIC ENGINE SOUNDS WERE NOTED. THE ACFT WAS TURNING DOWNWIND WHEN IT ABRUPTLY PITCHED DOWN, ROLLED LEFT UNTIL INVERTED, DESCENDED AND CRASH. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION, ALTHOUGH THE LEFT PROP HAD LESS ROTATIONAL DAMAGE THAN THE RIGHT PROP. EXAMINATION OF ACFT RECORDS REVEALED THE ACFT WAS INACTIVE FOR ABOUT 9 YRS UNTIL IT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE LESS THAN A YEAR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE ACFT ACCUMULATED ABOUT 17 HRS SINCE IT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. THE PLT STATED TO A WITNESS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THAT HE HAD NOT DONE SINGLE ENGINE OPERATION IN THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS OVERLOADED MORE THAN 200 LBS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM ENGINE CONTROL SPEED AFTER A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER OF THE LEFT ENGINE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. THE PILOT'S INEXPERIENCE IN TYPE OF AIRCRAFT AND AN OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AIRCRAFT WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/11/1989
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1615
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City MANASSAS
Event State VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 22110
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MANASSAS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID W10
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 193
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1600 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID IAD
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 5
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 5
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1849
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 11 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1500
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40941
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:31PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N98DS
NTSB Number BFO89FA022
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model A60
Aircraft Series Identifier A60
Aircraft Serial Number P-227
Certified Max Gross Weight 6775
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 29 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 1775
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RTS SERVICE INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 727 NAAMAN'S ROAD
Aircraft Owner City CLAYMONT
Aircraft Owner State DE
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19703
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name RTS SERVICE INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 727 NAAMAN'S ROAD
Operator City CLAYMONT
Operator State DE
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 19703
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Executive/Corporate
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1615
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code ILG
Destination City WILMINGTON
Destination State DE
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 16L
Runway Length 5700
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --