Beech 95C-55 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, November 9, 1987
On November 9, 1987 at about 3:50 am local time, a Beech 95C-55, registered N616G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia (William B Hartsfield). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- November 9, 1987 · about 3:50 am local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · William B Hartsfield
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95C-55 · all 95C-55s on the register
- Registration
- N616G · no longer on the register · serial TE450
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT WAS BEING POSITIONED TO BEGIN CARGO REVENUE FLT. AS ACFT TURNED FINAL AND LDG GEAR HANDLE WAS PUT IN DOWN POSITION PIC NOTED DIMMING OF ALL LIGHTS & COMMUNICATIONS WERE LOST. PIC UNAWARE GEAR WERE STILL RETRACTED UNTIL PROP TIPS CONTACTED RWY. DURING LANDING SLIDE LEFT INBOARD FUEL TANK DRAIN SHEARED AWAY, FUEL LEAKED FROM TANK, AND WAS IGNITED. PIC RPTED HE ELECTED TO LAND VICE GO-AROUND BECAUSE HE WAS IN A TCA WITH NO COMMUNICATIONS AND NO LIGHTS. INVESTIGATION FAILED TO REVEAL ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. OPERATOR STATED IT WAS NORMAL PRACTICE TO START ENGINES WITH ALTERNATORS OFF. CIRCUMSTANCES WERE CONSISTENT WITH LOSS OF ALTERNATORS AND BATTERY ONLY OPERATION. ALTERNATORS TESTED OK DURING POST ACCIDENT CHECK.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 123 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 4,500 as pilot in command; 15 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,424 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 28, 1987; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 6A2 Griffin GA at 3:36 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8L, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:48 am from ATL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.