Beech A33 accident near Bloomington, Illinois, August 13, 1989
On August 13, 1989 at about 11:43 pm local time, a Beech A33, registered N915Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomington, Illinois (Bloomington airport). It was a personal 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
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CONTAMINATION (WATER, DEBRIS, AND RUST-LIKE PARTICLES) IN THE FUEL AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO DETECT THE CONTAMINATION DURING THE PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1989 · about 11:43 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Illinois · Bloomington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A33
- Registration
- N915Q · registry record · serial CD-379
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED THROUGH ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND CONTINUED ON ACROSS A GRASSY AREA AND INTO A FIELD OF MATURE CORN BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED CONTAMINATION (WATER, DEBRIS, AND A RUST-LIKE PARTICULATE) IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE ENGINE RAN UP NORMALLY WITH CLEAN FUEL IN THE SYSTEM.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,550 hours in all; 671 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,508 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 19, 1989; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMI Bloomington IL
- Destination: 3WE St. Louis MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,723 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:43 pm from BMI
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.