Beech 58P accident near Nokesville, Virginia, October 26, 1989
On October 26, 1989, a Beech 58P, registered N86MC, was destroyed in an accident near Nokesville, Virginia (Manassas Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE ELEVATOR TRIM ACTUATORS, AND SUBSEQUENT JAMMING OF THE ELEVATOR TRIM IN A NOSE DOWN TRIM POSITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 1989
- Place
- Nokesville, Virginia · Manassas Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N86MC · no longer on the register · serial TJ-406
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKING OFF AT NGT ON RWY 34L, THE ACFT WAS MNVRD TO A LEFT DNWND (SAME RWY). ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE ENG(S) WENT TO A HI PWR SETTING ON DNWND, BUT THE ACFT SPEED RMND SLOW. APCHG (ABEAM) MIDFIELD, THE ACFT TURNED LEFT, THEN WENTINTO A DSCNT & CRASHED WEST OF THE ARPT. IMPACT WAS ON AN ESE HDG, IN A 15 TO 17 DEG DSCNT. THE LEFT FUEL SLCTR WAS FND IN THE 'OFF' PSN, BUT THE ACTUATING CABLE HAD PULLED THRU THE HOUSING (PRESUMABLY DRG IMPACT). THE RGT FUEL SLCTR WAS ON. BOTH PROPS SEPD FM THE CRANKSHAFT WITH EVIDENCE OF TORSIONAL FAILURE. THERE WAS A HISTORY OF ELEVATOR TRIM (E/T) PROBLEMS. JUST BFR THIS FLT, MAINT HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE E/T. E/T ACTUATORS WERE FND REVERSED, WHICH REVERSED THE DRCTN OF TRIM. BOTH E/T TABS WERE FND BYD THE FULL NOSE DWN TRIM PSN. CALCULATED FORCE TO OVERRIDE AT THE FULL NOSE DWN PSN WAS: 121 TO 136 LBS AT 100 KTS, 197 TO 203 LBS AT 150 KTS, 200 TO 305 LBS AT 200 KTS. ALSO, E/T CHAIN WAS FND OFF OFTHE SPROCKET & JAMMED BTN THE BRG PLATE & A BRACKET; 1 OF 2 BOLTS WAS MISSING FM BRG PLATE; OTR BOLT WAS FINGER TIGHT.
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: 1,284 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,182 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 22, 1989; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-WB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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.