Beech TC-45G accident near Abilene, Texas, May 14, 1983
On May 14, 1983 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Beech TC-45G, registered N63310, was substantially damaged in an accident near Abilene, Texas (Abilene Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 1983 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Abilene, Texas · Abilene Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech TC-45G · all TC-45Gs on the register
- Registration
- N63310 · no longer on the register · serial AF 131
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 30 MI EAST OF ABILENE THERE WAS A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER ON THE LEFT ENG. THE PLT FEATHERED THE PROP & MADE AN EMERGENCY APPROACH INTO ABILENE. UNABLE TO HOLD INITIAL APPROACH ALTITUDE, THE PLT RESTARTED THE LEFT ENG, BUT COULD OBTAIN ONLY PARTIAL POWER. THE PROP STAYED IN THE FEATHERED POSITION & THE ENG DIED DURING THE LANDING ROLL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE ENG FOR TAXI, HE WAS INFORMED BY A FOLLOWING ACFT THAT HIS LEFT ENG WAS ON FIRE. INSPECTION SHOWED EVIDENCE OF A FIRE IN THE LEFT ENG ACCESSORY SECTION WHICH HAD BURNED THROUGH THE TOP, BOTTOM & LEFT SKIN AREAS OF THE NACELLE. FIRE DAMAGE AFT OF THE FIREWALL WAS ONLY IN A SMALL AREA BUT EVIDENCE REVEALED SOME SCORCHING & RELATIVELY HIGH TEMP EXPOSURE TO THE AREA OF THE MAIN WING SPAR. WITHIN THE ACCESSORY AREA, THERE WAS EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE TO FUEL LINES, ACCESSORY CASE & RELATED COMPONENTS.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,600 hours in all; 3,560 in this make and model; 138 in the last 90 days; 12,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,396 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 4, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 9,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: ABC Airlines INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DFW Dallas TX
- Destination: MAF Midland TX
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 35, 7,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from ABI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW83LA234.