Beech C90 accident near Pontiac, Michigan, August 6, 1992
On August 6, 1992 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Beech C90, registered N90RG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pontiac, Michigan. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S NOT UNDERSTANDING THE FUEL SYSTEM, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT INADVERTENT DISCONTINUANCE OF FUEL TO BOTH ENGINES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1992 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Pontiac, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C90 · all C90s on the register
- Registration
- N90RG · registry record · serial LJ-546
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH WHEN HE STATED HE GOT A FUEL CROSSFEED 'WARNING' LIGHT. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TRY TO TROUBLE SHOOT THE FUEL SYSTEM BY CYCLING THE RIGHT BOOST PUMP SWITCH, AND 'RESET AND ARM' THE AUTO CROSSFEED. HE STATED THE CROSSFEED LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT, AND HE EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. WHEN HE FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE, THE LEFT ENGINE ALSO EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT CLEANED UP THE AIRPLANE AND DITCHED IN THE LAKE SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE LEFT WING FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY, AND THE LEFT NACELLE TANK WAS COLLAPSED. THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY, AND THE RIGHT NACELLE TANK CONTAINED 19 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE FUEL SUPPLY, TRANSFER, AND CROSSFEED SYSTEMS WERE FUNCTIONALLY CHECKED, AND WERE OPERABLE. ALL COCKPIT FUEL SYSTEM LIGHTS INDICATED NORMAL SYSTEM OPERATION.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,114 hours in all; 261 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 2,049 as pilot in command; 869 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,487 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 18, 1992; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,650 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Jabil Circuit Company, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: C19 Holland MI at 5:35 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:12 pm from PTK, 3 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI92LA237.