Beech E90 incident near Wilmington, Delaware, October 28, 1982
On October 28, 1982 at about 1:44 pm local time, a Beech E90, registered N213DS, suffered minor damage in an incident near Wilmington, Delaware (Greater Wilmington airport). It was an executive or corporate 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 incident. 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
- October 28, 1982 · about 1:44 pm local time
- Place
- Wilmington, Delaware · Greater Wilmington · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E90 · all E90s on the register
- Registration
- N213DS · registry record · serial LW64
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKING OFF FROM THE GREATER WILMINGTON AIRPORT, WILMINGTON, DE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE LOST POWER AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL, JUST AS THE LANDING GEAR WAS BEING RETRACTED. HE SAID THE AUTOFEATHER WAS ARMED, BUT THE LEFT PROPELLER DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY FEATHER. HE MANUALLY FEATHERED THE LEFT PROPELLER AND CHECKED THAT THE GEAR WAS RETRACTING. THE AIRSPEED DECREASED TO ABOUT 100 KTS. HE STATED THAT HE BEGAN A DESCENT TO ACHIEVE THE BEST SINGLE ENGINE SPEED, BUT LEVEL FLIGHT COULD NOT BE SUSTAINED. REALIZING HE WAS COMMITTED TO A FORCED LANDING, HE CLIMBED TO CROSS OVER A POWER LINE, LOWERED THE GEAR AND FLAPS, THEN LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE LEFT GEAR HIT A MOUND OF DIRT AND SEPARATED. WHILE SKIDDING TO A STOP, THE RIGHTMAIN GEAR ALSO FAILED. AN EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,634 hours in all; 2,873 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 5,605 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,422 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Linpro INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ILG Wilmington DE at 8:43 am
- Destination: IAD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 7,165 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 108°F (42°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 am from ILG, 2 miles away
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.