Beech E-90 accident near Tuba City, Arizona, June 1, 1989
On June 1, 1989 at about 5:15 am local time, a Beech E-90, registered N987GM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tuba City, Arizona (Tuba City airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THAT GROUND PERSONNEL DID NOT PROPERLY CLEAR THE RUNWAY OF ANIMALS PRIOR TO REPORTING TO THE PILOT THAT IT WAS CLEAR TO LAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 1989 · about 5:15 am local time
- Place
- Tuba City, Arizona · Tuba City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E-90 · all E-90s on the register
- Registration
- N987GM · no longer on the register · serial LW-98
- 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
THE PILOT STATED THAT 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO ARRIVAL HE NOTIFIED THE HOSPITAL AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE RUNWAY. AS HE ENTERED DOWNWIND SECURITY ADVISED HIM OF ANIMALS ON THE RUNWAY SO HE CIRCLED UNTIL THEY CALLED BACK STATING IT WAS CLEAR. JUST AS THE AIRPLANE WAS TOUCHING DOWN, TWO HORSES BEGAN TO CROSS THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GO-AROUND; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED BOTH ANIMALS AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE GO-AROUND. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP. A POST CRASH FIRE IGNITED AND WAS EXTINGUISHED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE LANDING WAS BEING MADE DURING DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,445 hours in all; 260 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 4,189 as pilot in command; 291 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,344 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 5, 1989; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FLG Flagstaff AZ at 4:40 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 4,475 ft by 52 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N987GM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.