Aero Commander 500U accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, February 16, 1989
On February 16, 1989 at about 9:44 pm local time, a Aero Commander 500U, registered N1010U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Daytona Beach airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
CONTROL MALFUNCTION OF UNDETERMINED CAUSE THAT MADE FURTHER FLIGHT INADVISABLE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 1989 · about 9:44 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Daytona Beach
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500U · all 500Us on the register
- Registration
- N1010U · no longer on the register · serial 1725-28
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION AFTER HE HAD RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR, HE NOTED THAT THE ELEVATOR UP CONTROL WAS RESTRICTED. HE THEN REDUCED POWER ON BOTH ENGINES AND EXECUTED AN INTENTIONAL GEAR UP LANDING ON THE RUNWAY. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED NO MALFUNCTION OR FAILURES THAT WOULD CAUSE THE ELEVATOR TO BE JAMMED.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 644 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 640 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,310 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 1988; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-E1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DAB Daytona Beach FL at 4:40 pm
- Destination: MCO Orlando FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6R, 3,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from DAB
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.
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.