Dekalb Peachtree Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chamblee, Georgia 30341
Sunday, October 1, 1989 16:42 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER TAKING OFF, THE PLT ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH DEP CTL & RPRTD A DIRECTIONAL GYRO PROBLEM. SECONDS LATER, HE RPRTD THAT HE WAS LOSING ALL INSTRUMENTS. DEP CTL ATTEMPTED TO PROVIDE NO-GYRO VECTORS. THE PLT WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A FREQ CHANGE. SOON THEREAFTER, RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST & THE ACFT CRASHED. BEFORE CRASHING THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED IN A ROLLING ATTITUDE. WRECKAGE WAS FOUND SCATTERED OVER A 600' BY 150' AREA. AN EXAM REVEALED THE RIGHT WING HAD SEPD IN FLT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE RIGHT WING HAD FAILED IN AN UPWARD (POSITIVE) DRCTN. THE PLT'S ATTITUDE GYRO WAS DAMAGED DURING IMPACT, BUT NO ROTATIONAL DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THE PLT'S ATTITUDE INDCR & COPLT'S TURN INDCR WERE AIR DRIVEN, THE PLT'S TURN INDCR WAS DC POWERED & THE COPLT'S ATTITUDE INDCR WAS AC POWERED. THE MAINTENANCE LOG DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT STATIC/ALTIMETER & TRANSPONDER CHECK.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

MALFUNCTION OF ONE OR MORE FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON, FAILUE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH PARTIAL PANEL INSTRUMENTS AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED, AND HIS EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE WEATHER (LOW CEILING) AND MALFUNCTIONING DIRECTIONAL GYRO WERE RELATED FACTORS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/1/1989
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1642
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City CHAMBLEE
Event State GEORGIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 30341
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DEKALB PEACHTREE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID PDK
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 1002
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1455 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID PDK
Elevation of weather observation facility 1002
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2269
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 1 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 42169
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N43GT
NTSB Number ATL90FA001
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BEECH
Aircraft Model C90
Aircraft Series Identifier C90
Aircraft Serial Number LJ-652
Certified Max Gross Weight 9650
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 8
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Apr 3 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 136
Airframe Hours 4272
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROY BEATTY
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 201 NORTH CRYSTAL LAKE DR
Operator City ORLANDO
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 32803
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code PDK
Departure City CHAMBLEE
Departure State GA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1638
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code ORL
Destination City ORLANDO
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --