Swearingen SA-226TC accident near South Bend, Indiana, September 17, 1995
On September 17, 1995 at about 1:20 am local time, a Swearingen SA-226TC, registered N169GA, was substantially damaged in an accident near South Bend, Indiana (South Bend Regional airport). It was a positioning 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 Pilot-in-Command's inadequate supervision of the flight and failure to assure that proper airspeed, rate of climb, and clearance from trees were obtained/maintained.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1995 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- South Bend, Indiana · South Bend Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-226TC · all SA-226TCs on the register
- Registration
- N169GA · registry record · serial TC-376
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A REPOSITIONING FLIGHT, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) WAS CONDUCTING ENGINE OUT TRAINING WITH THE COPILOT. THE PIC SIMULATED A RIGHT ENGINE FAILURE DURING INITIAL CLIMBOUT AFTER TAKEOFF APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE STARTED TO DECAY. THE PIC SAID HE FIXATED ON AIRSPEED AND TERMINATED TRAINING AS AIRSPEED NEARED SINGLE ENGINE BEST ANGLE OF CLIMB AIRSPEED (VXSE). THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY AS POWER WAS APPLIED ON BOTH ENGINES, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO FLY AND WAS LANDED BACK AT THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK STATED UNDER A CAUTION THAT MINIMUM ALTITUDE FOR OBSTACLE CLEARANCE SHOULD BE MAINTAINED UNTIL SINGLE ENGINE BEST RATE OF CLIMB AIRSPEED (VYSE) IS ATTAINED. AT 11,500 POUNDS GROSS WEIGHT, THE SINGLE ENGINE CLIMB RATE SHOULD BEEN A POSITIVE 700 FEET PER MINUTE.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 5,700 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 23,275 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 1, 1995; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-10-UA (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBN at 2:10 am
- Destination: 5FP Panama City FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27L, 7,099 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from SBN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.