Beech T-34B accident near Suffolk, Virginia, June 5, 1989
On June 5, 1989 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Beech T-34B, registered N91072, was substantially damaged in an accident near Suffolk, Virginia (Suffolk Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INADVERTENT STALL DUE TO FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO OBTAIN ADEQUATE FLYING SPEED AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI). THE INOPERATIVE STALL WARNING SYSTEM WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE INTERMITTENT INTERCOMM PROBLEM WAS A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 1989 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Suffolk, Virginia · Suffolk Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech T-34B · all T-34Bs on the register
- Registration
- N91072 · no longer on the register · serial BG-274
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI AND STUDENT WERE PERFORMING A SIMULATED SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF FROM A PAVED RWY WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CFI STATED THAT FULL PWR WAS APPLIED WITH 75 PERCENT FLAPS AND FULL BACK STICK WAS USED. ONCE AIRBORNE, BACK PRESSURE WAS RELEASED AND THE ACFT SETTLED TO THE RWY. BACK PRESSURE WAS AGAIN APPLIED AND THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE. ONCE AGAIN, BACK PRESSURE WAS RELEASED AND THE ACFT SETTLED TOWARD THE RWY. TO PREVENT THE ACFT FROM CONTACTING THE RWY, THE CFI APPLIED BACK PRESSURE AND THE ACFT ENTERED WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A LEFT YAWING TURN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN IN A LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE AND SKIDDED TO A STOP OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY. THE CFI REPORTED THE REAR COCKPIT STALL WARNING WAS INOP AND THE INTERCOMM SYSTEM HAD AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command; 1,320 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,382 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 26, 1989; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,985 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NGU Norfolk VA at 4:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.