Vickers VISCOUNT VC-810 accident near Bloomington, Indiana, October 19, 1985
On October 19, 1985 at about 7:35 pm local time, a Vickers VISCOUNT VC-810, registered N923RC, was destroyed in an accident near Bloomington, Indiana (Monroe County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 17 people had minor injuries; 10 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- October 19, 1985 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Indiana · Monroe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 17 people had minor injuries; 10 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Vickers VISCOUNT VC-810 VISCOUNT V
- Registration
- N923RC · no longer on the register · serial 320
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG AN ILS TO RWY 35, THE APCH WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE ACFT WAS APRX 100' ABV THE DECISION HEIGHT, EXCEPT THERE WAS CONDENSATION ON THE WINDSHIELD. TOUCHDOWN WAS HARD. A WITNESS SAID THE ACFT LNDD APRX 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE 5200' RWY. AFTER LNDG, WITH THE PROPS IN 'GROUND FINE,' BRAKING ACTION WAS INEFFECTIVE ON THE WET RWY. THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN ANTI-SKID BRAKING SYS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CONTD OFF THE RWY & WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT INTO A FIELD.SCRUB MARKS ON THE RWY & REVERTED RUBBER ON THE TIRES INDICATED THE ACFT WAS HYDROPLANING. ACCORDING TO THE FLT MANUAL, 4500' (PLUS A 10% FACTOR FOR NO ANTI-SKID) WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO STOP ON A DRY RWY IN THE PREVAILING WX CONDS, WHICH INCLUDED A SLIGHT TAILWIND. TWO PAX, ACTING AS FLT ATTENDANTS (F/A'S), ASSISTED THE OTHER PAX IN EVACUATING. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE F/A'S WERE NOT PROPERLY TRAINED; THE PAX WERE NOT COMPLETELY BRIEFED BEFORE THE FLT; & THE PAX BRIEFING CARDS WERE INADEQUATE. THE ACFT WAS ON A BUSINESS FLT TO TRANSPORT AN ENTERTAINMENT TROUPE.
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: 27,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,707 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 14, 1985; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 72,500 lb
- Seats: 34
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce DART 525 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LEX Lexington KY at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 5,200 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:05 am from BMG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 16 | 10 |
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.