Beech E-55 accident near Chattanooga, Tennessee, October 2, 1992
On October 2, 1992 at about 9:04 pm local time, a Beech E-55, registered N10BS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chattanooga, Tennessee (Lovell Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF AN UNKNOWN PERSON TO FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES BY OPERATING A RADIO-CONTROLLED MODEL PLANE IN AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN AIRSPACE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 1992 · about 9:04 pm local time
- Place
- Chattanooga, Tennessee · Lovell Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E-55 · all E-55s on the register
- Registration
- N10BS · registry record · serial TE-841
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON SHORT FINAL FOR A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 15. HE OBSERVED AN APPROACHING OBJECT THAT APPEARED TO BE A RADIO-CONTROLLED MODEL AIRPLANE. HE PULLED UP AND BANKED TO THE LEFT; HOWEVER, THE OBJECT COLLIDED WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT WING. THE AILERONS WERE MOMENTARILY JAMMED, BUT FORCE ON THE CONTROL YOKE FREED THEM. HE EXECUTED A GO-AROUND AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON RUNWAY 20. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A HOLE IN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT WING, A DESTROYED RIB, AND A NICKED AILERON CABLE. THERE WAS ALSO A BULGE IN THE UPPER WING SKIN. A SMALL SLIVER OF WOOD WAS FOUND INSIDE THE DAMAGED WING SECTION. A SEARCH FOR THE MODEL AIRPLANE AND ITS OPERATORS WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,511 hours in all; 310 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,246 as pilot in command; 405 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,582 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 4, 1992; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGF Springfield MO at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 15, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from CHA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.