Rockwell 690B accident near Greenville, South Carolina, January 17, 1984
On January 17, 1984 at about 12:38 pm local time, a Rockwell 690B, registered N81717, was destroyed in an accident near Greenville, South Carolina (Greenville airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1984 · about 12:38 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, South Carolina · Greenville
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 690B
- Registration
- N81717 · no longer on the register · serial 11445
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE PLT WAS MAKING AN ILS APPROACH IN IMC WEATHER, THE ACFT DESCENDED INTO TREES & CRASHED ABOUT 1-1/2 MI FROM THE RWY THRESHOLD. THE DESCISION HEIGHT FOR THIS APPROACH WAS 1316 FT MSL & WAS LOCATED LESS THAN A MILE FROM THE THRESHOLD.A CONTROLLER SAID THAT THE LAST ALT READOUT HE REMEMBERS FOR THE ACFT WAS 1200 FT AT ABOUT 2 MILES FROM THRESHOLD. WHEN THE RADAR TARGET DISAPPEARED FROM THE DISPLAY, THE CONTROLLER ASKED FOR A POSITION REPORT, BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY. THE 0740 EST WX A GREENVILLE, SC WAS IN PART: SKY CONDITION ZERO OBSCURED, VISIBILITY ZERO WITH FOG, WIND CALM. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS 980 FT MSL.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,834 hours in all; 1,126 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 13,735 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,540 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 2, 1983; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,375 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE-331-251-K (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RMG Rome GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 5,393 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:40 pm from GMU, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.