Beech C-90 accident near Burlington, North Carolina, February 13, 1990
On February 13, 1990 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Beech C-90, registered N110LT, was destroyed in an accident near Burlington, North Carolina. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE DOUBLE ENGINE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIVES BY NOT ENGAGING THE RIGHT FUEL TRANSFER PUMP, AND THE INADVERTENT STALL DURING THE FORCED LANDING APPROACH. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL BEFORE ADEQUATE FUEL RESERVES WERE EXHAUSTED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 1990 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Burlington, North Carolina
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-90 · all C-90s on the register
- Registration
- N110LT · registry record · serial LJ-729
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT TRANSMITTED ON UNICOM THAT HE WAS ON FINAL FOR 24. FOLLOWING A DOUBLE FUEL STARVATION POWER LOSS THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED NOSE LOW WITH TREES AND TERRAIN ABOUT 2.6 MILES FROM RUNWAY 24. LAST FUELING OCCURRED ON THE PREVIOUS DAY AT ALBERMARLE, NC, THE PILOT'S PRIMARY SOURCE OF FUEL, 50 MILES FROM BURLINGTON. THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED TO BURLINGTON, TETERBORO, AND WAS RETURNING TO BURLINGTON. TOTAL ESTIMATED FLIGHT TIME WAS 4 HOURS 32 MINUTES. FUEL BURN WAS CALCULATED TO BE 361 GALLONS. USABLE FUEL WAS 384 GALLONS AND 24 GALLONS WERE RECOVERED FROM THE RIGHT CENTER TANK. IF THE FUEL TRANSFER PUMP DOES NOT OPERATE 28 GALLONS WILL BE UNUSABLE. THAT PUMP WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION. NO FUEL SPILLAGE OCCURRED AT THE SCENE. ON 2/8/90 THE PILOT PURCHASED 361 GALLONS OF FUEL FOR N110LT. LOWER FUEL PRICES AT THE FAVORED LOCATION WERE THE PILOT'S REASON FOR FUELING THERE. EXAMINATION OF ENGINES, PROPELLERS, FUEL PUMPS, AND OTHER RELATIVE COMPONENTS DID NOT REVEAL ANY SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,800 hours in all; 150 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,976 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 1, 1989; 154 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,650 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-21 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEB Teterboro NJ at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:30 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.