Beech E-90 accident near Pine Bluff, Arkansas, May 19, 1985
On May 19, 1985 at about 7:55 pm local time, a Beech E-90, registered N575HC, was destroyed in an accident near Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 1985 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Pine Bluff, Arkansas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E-90 · all E-90s on the register
- Registration
- N575HC · no longer on the register · serial LW-67
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A SIMULATED ENG FAILURE WAS INITIATED BY THE CHK AIRMAN AT 200 AGL. THE PLT FOLLOWED THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND ADVANCED THE PWR LEVERS TO BRING PWR BACK TO THE ENGINE.THE PLT THEN NOTICED THE ENG FAILED AND HAD INSUFFICIENT ALT TO GET AN AIR RESTART. THE SUBSEQUENT DESCENT RESULTED IN CONTACT WITH TREES OFF THE END OF THE ARPT RWY. THE DESCENT WAS NOT ARRESTED AND THE ACFT STRUCK THE TERRAIN AND FLIPPED INVERTED. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT'S LEFT ENG REVEALED FOREIGN CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL CONTROL GOVERNOR PY AIR RESTRICTOR. STATIC TESTING REVEALED SIGNIFICANT MALFUNCTIONING AT THE IDLE AND MAX GOVERNORING SPEED LIMITS.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,319 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 5,318 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,445 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 1985; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PBF Pine Bluff AR at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:55 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.