Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Spartanburg Downtown Mem. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Spartanburg, South Carolina 29304
Wednesday, May 6, 1987 14:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE LOWERED THE LDG GEAR AND OBSERVED A DOWN-AND-LOCKED INDICATION ON THE LDG GEAR POSITION LIGHT ON FINAL APPCH. DURING ROLLOUT, HE FELT A SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE NOSE GEAR AND PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REDUCE IT. HE THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. AS THE ACFT SLID TO A STOP, THE RT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE COCKPIT AND THE PLT EXITED THE ACFT THROUGH THE EMERGENCY EXIT. RESCUE PERSONNEL REPORTED FINDING THE ACFT RESTING GEAR-UP ON THE RWY WHEN THEY RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT. AN A&P MECHANIC ON-SCENE ASSISTED IN EXTINGUISHING A FIRE THAT HAD BROKEN OUT, AND ENTERED THE ACFT AFTERWARD. HE REPORTED FINDING THE GEAR SELECTOR LEVER IN THE 'UP' POSITION. HE NOTED THAT THE FLAP SELECTOR WAS IN THE 'DOWN' POSITION. POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE ACFT BY THE FAA REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-EXISTING MALFUNCTION OR MECH FAILURE IN THE LDG GEAR DOWN-LOCK SYSTEM. THE INBD MLG DOORS WERE OBSERVED TO BE PARTIALLY GROUND AWAY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/6/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | SPARTANBURG |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29304 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SPARTANBURG DOWNTOWN MEM. |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SPA |
| 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 | 808 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GSP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 972 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 623 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 6 1987 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1444 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 33795 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 2:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N713DM |
| NTSB Number | ATL87LA133 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | E-55 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | E-55 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | TE-889 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5300 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3750 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TELLEAMERICA CORP. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 117 W. MAIN STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | PLYMOUTH |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 18651 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CHRIS SHURBURTT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 111 TULARE DRIVE |
| Operator City | SPARTANBURG |
| Operator State | SC |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 29369 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GSP |
| Departure City | GREER |
| Departure State | SC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1338 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | 22 |
| Runway Length | 5203 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |