Grumman G-159 accident near Houston, Texas, August 23, 1990
On August 23, 1990 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Grumman G-159, registered N80RD, was destroyed in an accident near Houston, Texas (Houston Intl airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed, 4 people were seriously injured and 8 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL PUMP, WHICH RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER IN THE LEFT ENGINE, BUT NOT ENOUGH OF A POWER LOSS TO TRIGGER AND/OR COMPLETE THE AUTOFEATHERING OPERATION OF THE LEFT PROPELLER, THUS ALLOWING INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE CREW TO MANUALLY FEATHER THE PROPELLER OR ATTAIN VMC (FOR THE AIRCRAFT CONFIGURED WITH AN UNFEATHERED PROPELLER).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1990 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Houston Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed, 4 people were seriously injured and 8 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-159
- Registration
- N80RD · registry record · serial 198
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PASSENGERS & WITNESSES REPORTED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT YAWED BOTH LEFT & RIGHT AFTER LIFT-OFF. IT THEN VEERED TO THE LEFT & CONTACTED THE GROUND IN A LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE BETWEEN THE RUNWAY & A PARALLEL TAXIWAY. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE LEFT ENGINE HAD SUSTAINED A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER DUE TO A MALFUNCTIONING FUEL PUMP. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THE POWER LOSS WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO TRIGGER OR ALLOW COMPLETION OF THE AUTOFEATHERING OPERATION OF THE LEFT PROPELLER. FEATHERING OF THE LEFT PROPELLER HAD BEEN MANUALLY INITIATED, BUT THE PROPELLER HAD NOT REACHED THE FEATHER POSITION BEFORE IMPACT. MANUAL FEATHERING OPERATION REQUIRED THE FEATHERING PUMP BUTTON BE HELD ABOUT 5 SEC. 'V' SPEEDS (KIAS) FOR THIS FLT WERE: V1 92, VR 99, V2 110, NORMAL VMCA (DEAD ENGINE PROPELLER FEATHERED, FLAPS SET FOR TAKEOFF & AIRCRAFT OUT OF GROUND EFFECT) 101, VMCA (DEAD ENGINE PROPELLER UNFEATHERED/WINDMILLING & FLAPS SET FOR TAKEOFF) 127 KTS. EXAM OF THE ACTUATORS REVEALED THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED & THE FLAPS WERE SET FOR TAKEOFF.
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: 20,200 hours in all; 760 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 17,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,343 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 3, 1990; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 36,000 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 529-8X (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: IAH at 10:19 pm
- Destination: MSY New Orleans LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14L, 12,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 10:20 pm from IAH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 4 | 8 |
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.