Hawker Siddeley DH-125-3A accident near Houston, Texas, August 13, 1989
On August 13, 1989 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Hawker Siddeley DH-125-3A, registered N66HA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas (William P. Hobby airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING SYSTEM FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, AND THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S HESITATION REACHING FOR THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING TILLER. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN A DH-125.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1989 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · William P. Hobby · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Siddeley DH-125-3A
- Registration
- N66HA · no longer on the register · serial 25126
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING LANDING, UPON NOSE WHEEL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY, DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE RUNWAY HARD SURFACE AND CROSSED A DITCH COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR. THE CREW STATED THAT FULL LEFT RUDDER AND DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING WOULD NOT STOP THE RIGHT DRIFT, AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN GRASS UNCONTROLLABLE BY THE TIME THE STEERING TILLER WAS REACHED. THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING SYSTEM WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY THE IMPACT SEQUENCE WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL WELL AFT BULKHEAD WAS FORCED INTO THE STEERING ASSEMBLY. THE PILOT STATED THAT IF HE HAD BEEN 'SPRING LOADED TO THE TILLER' THAT HE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY KEPT THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE GRASS.
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; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,180 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,966 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 21,700 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce VIPER 522 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skytravel INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SAV Savannah GA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: HOU
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12R, 7,601 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from HOU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.