Beech 70 accident near Albany, Georgia, August 2, 1989
On August 2, 1989 at about 7:16 pm local time, a Beech 70, registered N11TP, was destroyed in an accident near Albany, Georgia (Southwest Georgia Rgnl airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE SUPERCHARGER INTERMEDIATE DRIVE GEAR SHAFT (GEAR TOOTH), WHICH RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER, AND THE PILOT'S INITIATION OF LIFT-OFF BEFORE REACHING VMC AIRSPEED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE WORN INTERMEDIATE DRIVE GEAR SHAFT, THE PILOT'S OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT ABOVE ITS MAXIMUM CERTIFIED GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT, AND THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1989 · about 7:16 pm local time
- Place
- Albany, Georgia · Southwest Georgia Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 70
- Registration
- N11TP · registry record · serial LB-12
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF, THE ACFT ROLLED ABRUPTLY TO THE RIGHT AFTER LIFT-OFF. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK THE SURFACE, THEN THE ACFT CARTWHEELED & CRASHED. THE FUSELAGE WAS DESTROYED BY A POST-CRASH FIRE. AN EXAM OF THE ENGS REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT ENG SUPERCHARGER INTERMEDIATE DRIVE GEAR SHAFT HAD BECOME WORN & ONE OF ITS GEAR TEETH HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT AN OUT-OF-MESH CONDITION OCCURRED, WHICH RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENG POWER DURING TAKEOFF. ALSO, THE ACFT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 679 LBS OVER ITS MAX CERTIFIED GROSS WEIGHT. DENSITY ALT WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 2000 FT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 35 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,310 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 1989; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,200 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGSO-480-A1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: D.L. Porter Construction, INC.
The flight
- Destination: CAK Akron OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 5,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:21 pm from ABY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL89FA188.