Beech E55 accident near Raleigh, North Carolina, August 10, 1989
On August 10, 1989 at about 3:23 pm local time, a Beech E55, registered N55TP, was destroyed in an accident near Raleigh, North Carolina (Raleigh Durham Intl airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION WHILE OPERATING IN INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1989 · about 3:23 pm local time
- Place
- Raleigh, North Carolina · Raleigh Durham Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech E55 · all E55s on the register
- Registration
- N55TP · registry record · serial TE-965
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED RALEIGH DURHAM INTL AIRPORT AT 1119. AT 1122 THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED TO THE TAR RIVER VOR. THE PILOT 'ROGERED' THE INSTRUCTIONS, AND THIS WAS THE LAST RECORDED CONVERSATION. WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINES REVVING UP BEFORE THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND ONE WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE BEFORE THE IMPACT. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT EXPERIENCING WEATHER DIFFICULTIES. THERE WERE NO DEPICTIONS OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WITHIN THE FLIGHT'S FLIGHT PATH VICINITY ON ATC RADAR. NO PRE-IMPACT FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. RADAR DATA SHOWED SOME INSTABILITY IN HEADING, ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED BETWEEN 1120:51 AND 1123:40.
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: 4,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Raleigh NC at 3:19 pm
- Destination: Manteo NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:34 pm from RDU, 7 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N55TP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ATL89FA194.