Beech 65-88 accident near Omaha, Nebraska, May 25, 1985
On May 25, 1985 at about 1:30 am local time, a Beech 65-88, registered N8833B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Omaha, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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 25, 1985 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-88 · all 65-88s on the register
- Registration
- N8833B · no longer on the register · serial LP-2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT REPORTED THAT THE RT ENG BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND BACKFIRE AS THE FLT WAS CLIMBING THRU 400 FT AGL AFTER TAKEOFF. MOMENTS LATER THE RT ENG FIRE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE PLT SECURED THE ENG AND LANDED. THE FIRE WARNING LIGHT WENT OUT PRIOR TO LANDING AND THERE WAS INDICATION OF FIRE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED A HOLE BURNED N THE #3 CYL HEAD AND A SEPARATED INDUCTION MANIFOLD COUPLING AT THE #2 CYL. THE EXAMINATION ALSO REVEALED FIRE DAMAGE TO RIGHT ENG MOUNTAND COWLING.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,964 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 139 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,430 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1984; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,800 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGSO-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OMA Omaha NE at 1:25 am
- Destination: TUL Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 pm from OMA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.