Swearingen SA226TC accident near Saint George, Utah, February 11, 1989
On February 11, 1989, a Swearingen SA226TC, registered N1010Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saint George, Utah (Saint George airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
MALFUNCTION OF THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYSTEM DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING POPPET VALVE & INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 1989
- Place
- Saint George, Utah · Saint George · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA226TC · all SA226TCs on the register
- Registration
- N1010Z · registry record · serial TC-373
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG THE TAKEOFF ROLL WITH THE COPLT AT THE CTLS, THE ACFT BEGAN TURNING TO THE LEFT. THE COPLT CORRECTED WITH RGT RUDDER, BUT AS THE TAKEOFF CONTD, THE ACFT VEERED UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE LEFT. THE TAKEOFF WAS ABORTED, BUT BEFORE STOPPING, THE ACFT TURNED FURTHER LEFT & HIT A CESSNA 172 & A UPS VEHICLE, BOTH OF WHICH WERE UNOCCUPIED. THIS WAS THE 1ST FLT AFTER MAINT ON THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYS. A SYS CHECK REVEALED THAT WHEN HYDRAULIC & ELECTRICAL PWR WERE APPLIED, THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYS WOULD DEFLECT TO THE LEFT AT A RATE OF ABOUT ONE DEGREE PER SECOND. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT WHEN MAINT WAS PERFORMED, A ONE-PIECE ARMING/POPPET VLV WAS USED TO REPLACE A TWO-PIECE VLV, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED. DRG THE INSTLN, THE SMALL PART OF THE TWO-PIECE VLV (ABT THE SIZE OF A WASHER) WAS NOT REMOVED. WHEN THE ONE-PIECE VLV WAS INSTLD PROPERLY, THE SYS OPERD NORMALLY. MAINT INSTRNS & DRAWINGS DID NOT ADDRESS THE TW0- PIECE VLV & NO INSTRNS WERE FND TO INDC THE TWO PIECES OF THE OLD VLV SHOULD BE CHGD AS A PACKAGE.
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: 7,282 hours in all; 1,825 in this make and model; 148 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 4,736 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,361 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 7, 1989; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGU
- Destination: PSP Palm Springs CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 6,100 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.