Beech 58 accident near Chicago, Illinois, March 13, 1985
On March 13, 1985 at about 9:20 am local time, a Beech 58, registered N1889L, was destroyed in an accident near Chicago, Illinois (O'Hare Intl airport). It was a positioning 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 1985 · about 9:20 am local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · O'Hare Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N1889L · no longer on the register · serial TH752
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE BEECH 58 PLT WAS RETURNING AT NGT WHEN TRAFFIC WAS VERY LIGHT. AFTER LNDG, THE ACFT WAS RETAINED ON LOCAL CONTROL (LC) FREQ FOR THE PLT'S CONVENIENCE. THE PLT REQUESTED CLNC TO THE TWA HANGAR & WAS CLEARED ON THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS ROUTE. THIS ROUTE WENT NEXT TO THE RWY 9L PAD, WHERE A BOEING 747 MAINT CREW WERE RUNNING UP/TRIMMING ENGS. THE BEECH WAS BLOWN OVR AS IT PASSED BEHIND THE BOEING. DURING THE OCCURRENCE, THE TOP OF THE BEECH WAS CRUSHED INWARD, FATALLY INJURING THE PLT. TOWER LETTER OF OPNS PROHIBITED THE USE OF TAXIWAY NEXT TO THE RWY 9L PAD, WHEN IT WAS BEING USED FOR RUN-UPS. THE BEECH PLT WAS NOT CAUTIONED ABOUT PSBL WAKE TURBC & THE BOEING CREW WERE NOT ADVISED OF THE BEECH'S PSN. FOR REASONS OF NOISE ABATEMENT, THE NGT-TIME RUN-UP OF THE BOEING 747 SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON A HDG OF EAST OR NORTHWEST, BUT THE 747 WAS ON A HDG OF SOUTHWEST, ANGLED INTO THE WIND. NONE OF THE FOUR TOWER CONTROLLERS DETECTED OR ATTEMPTED CORRECTING ITS ORIENTATION.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 11,060 hours in all; 97 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 10,660 as pilot in command; 8,920 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,209 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 20, 1984; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Rynes Aviation INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DTW Detroit MI at 6:58 am
- Destination: ORD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14R, 11,600 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; not recorded at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:57 am from 0RD, 1 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.
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.