Beech E 90 accident near Fayetteville, Tennessee, August 28, 2015
On August 28, 2015 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1973 Beech E 90, registered N891PC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Fayetteville, Tennessee. It was a personal 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
A total loss of electrical power for reasons that could not be determined and the pilot's subsequent failure to properly follow the manual landing gear extension procedures, which resulted in the landing gear not extending.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2015 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E 90 NO SERIES, built 1973 · all E 90s on the register
- Registration
- N891PC · no longer on the register · serial LW-40
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff in day visual meteorological conditions, when the airplane was climbing through 3,000 ft mean sea level, a complete electrical failure occurred that affected electrical instrumentation and additional airplane equipment, including the landing gear. The pilot reported that he performed the electrical failure checklists and could not restore power. After additional troubleshooting with no success, he chose to divert to and land at another airport. While in the traffic pattern at his diversion airport, he attempted to lower the landing gear using the emergency landing gear extension procedures but could not confirm the landing gear were down and locked. Without any capability to communicate or confirmation that the landing gear were down, he decided to leave the airport traffic pattern and land on a nearby field to avoid airport traffic; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, landing gear doors, engines, and propellers during the off-airport landing. The reason for the loss of electrical power could not be determined. Examination of the cockpit revealed that the landing gear's emergency engage handle, also known as the "J" handle, was not pulled up and turned, which was one of the steps listed in the airplane flight manual for the manual landing gear extension procedure. The "J" handle engages the clutch and allows for the handle to operate the landing gear chain. Without engaging the "J" handle, the landing gear handle pumping action would not have worked, which resulted in the gear-up landing.
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
What happened, in order
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Landing gear not configured during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › (general) › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,882 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,310 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 8, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,283 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 2015; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,099 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W PT6A-28 (turboprop); 6,255 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W PT6A-28 (turboprop); 12,471 hours total
- Operator: Chopaire LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SYI Shelbyville TN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: HSV Huntsville AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from KMDQ, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on June 15, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records-excerpt | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Emergency Electrical and Gear Extension Procedures | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Emergency Procedure Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Memorandum of Record_weather | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo - Postaccident Position of "J" Handle | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo Array_accident Site and Damage | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.