Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
W K Kellog Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Battle Creek, Michigan 49015
Friday, July 7, 1989 12:12 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER & THAT THEY WOULD RETURN FOR A LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO CIRCLE TO THE LEFT WITH THE RIGHT PROP FEATHERED. DURING THE TURN TO THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED & CRASHED IN A SWAMPY AREA THAT WAS SURROUNDED BY TREES. A POST IMPACT FIRE ERUPTED & DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION VERIFIED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER HAD BEEN FEATHERED. THE FUEL SELECTOR FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS FOUND POSITIONED BETWEEN 'OFF' & 'ON.' THE MAGNETO SWITCH FOR THE LEFT ENGINE WAS FOUND IN THE 'OFF' POSITION, WHILE THE MAGNETO SWITCH FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS IN THE 'BOTH' POSITION. REMNANTS OF THE THROW-OVER YOKE SHOWED THAT IT WAS POSITIONED TO THE COPILOT'S SIDE. THE COPILOT'S FLIGHT TIME IN THE BEECH 58 WAS NOT VERIFIED. BOTH ENGS WERE REMOVED & PREPARED FOR OPERATIONAL CHECKS. AFTER WATER CONTAMINATION WAS CLEANED FROM THE ENGINES, BOTH WERE STARTED & RAN SUCCESSFULLY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FLIGHT CREW INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE AFTER THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER, AND THE COPILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE MANEUVERING THE AIRCRAFT BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE FUEL SELECTOR (PROBABLY) BY THE COPILOT AND IMPROPER MONITORING BY THE OTHER PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION TO THE RIGHT ENGINE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/7/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1212 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | BATTLE CREEK |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49015 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | W K KELLOG |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BTL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 953 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1214 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BTL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 950 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2029 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 7 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1155 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41262 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9253A |
| NTSB Number | CHI89FA128 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | 58 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 58 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TH-45 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5400 |
| 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 | Jan 29 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 33 |
| Airframe Hours | 4750 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CENTRAL SALES & LEASING, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1825 BAY CITY RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | MIDLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48640 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3300 6TH AVE. |
| Operator City | BATTLE CREEK |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 49015 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | BTL |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1210 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SWF |
| Destination City | NEWBURGH |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 4835 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |