Cessna T303 accident near Benton Harbor, Michigan, December 11, 1986
On December 11, 1986 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna T303, registered N9894T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Benton Harbor, Michigan (Ross Field Twin Cities). It was a business 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
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
- December 11, 1986 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Benton Harbor, Michigan · Ross Field Twin Cities · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T303 · all T303s on the register
- Registration
- N9894T · no longer on the register · serial T30300052
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS FLYING TO BENTON HARBOR TO GET WORK DONE ON A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THE RIGHT ENG THROTTLE. ON FINAL APCH, THE PLT DID NOT GET A GEAR DOWN INDICATION AND TRIED TO CYCLE THE GEAR. NOT SURE THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN, THE PLT CHOOSE TO GO-AROUND. WHEN POWER WAD ADDED, RIGHT ENG DID NOT RESPOND AND THE ACFT ROLLED TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT WING TIP STRUCK THE RWY AND ON TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,462 hours in all; 284 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 5,386 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,001 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-AE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBN South Bend IN at 4:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,107 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.