Beech B-60 accident near Gaston, South Carolina, June 20, 1989
On June 20, 1989 at about 8:42 pm local time, a Beech B-60, registered N78TW, was destroyed in an accident near Gaston, South Carolina (Columbia Metro airport). It was a personal 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 PILOT EXERCISED QUESTIONABLE JUDGEMENT IN INITIATING A FLIGHT INTO AN AREA OF KNOWN THUNDERSTORMS. FURTHER, EITHER DELIBERATELY OR INADVERTANTLY ENTERED A THUNDERSTORM AND OVERSTRESSED THE AIRFRAME STRUCTURE RESULTING IN AN INFLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE AERODYNAMIC SURFACES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1989 · about 8:42 pm local time
- Place
- Gaston, South Carolina · Columbia Metro · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech B-60 · all B-60s on the register
- Registration
- N78TW · registry record · serial P-445
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING IN WHICH HE WAS INFORMED OF THUNDERSTORMS AND CURRENT SIGMETS FOR HIS INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART HIS HOME AIRPORT ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT. AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE, WITNESSES INDICATED THE PRESENCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER TRYING TO OBTAIN HIS IFR CLEARANCE FROM CHARLOTTE, THE PILOT WAS ISSUED HIS IFR CLEARANCE WHEN APPROACHING COLUMBIA, SC. THE PILOT HAD DEVIATED AROUND AT LEAST ONE THUNDERSTORM WHILE APPROACHING COLUMBIA. THE PILOT HAD BEEN CLEARED TO CLIMB TO HIS REQUESTED ALTITUDE OF 17,000 FEET AND HAD REACHED 16,400 WHEN THE RADAR RETURN WAS OBSERVED TO INDICATE A DESCENT AND THEN WAS LOST. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE EXIT THE CLOUDS IN FLAMES. THE EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE HORIZONTAL TAIL HAD SEPARATED FOLLOWED BY THE WINGS AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE. NO EVIDENCE OF SEPARATION DUE TO STRUCTURAL WEAKENING FROM HEATING WAS FOUND.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,290 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,010 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,669 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 13, 1989; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,725 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-5410E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 0A6 Gastonia NC at 8:00 pm
- Destination: FPR Fort Pierce FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from CAE, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.