Aerospatiale TB-20 accident near Omaha, Nebraska, September 25, 1988
On September 25, 1988 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Aerospatiale TB-20, registered N31TB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Omaha, Nebraska (Eppley 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
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
- September 25, 1988 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Omaha, Nebraska · Eppley
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale TB-20
- Registration
- N31TB · registry record · serial 483
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT WHEN THE ACFT WAS AT APRX 150' TO 200' AGL ON FINAL APCH, THE ENG LOST PWR & WOULD NOT RESTART. UNABLE TO RCH THE RWY, HE LNDD ABOUT 50' SHORT ON SOFT TRRN, WHERE THE GEAR COLLAPSED & THE ACFT WAS DMGD. ONLY ABOUT 12 OUNCES OF FUEL WAS REMAINING IN THE LEFT TANK, BUT 13 GAL WAS FND IN THE RGT TANK. DRG POST-ACDNT CHECKS, 3 GAL OF FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE LEFT TANK. HOWEVER, THE ENG WOULD NOT START IRREGARDLESS OF THE FUEL SELECTOR PSN. WHEN AN INDEPENDENT FUEL SOURCE WAS CONNECTED TO THE INLET FUEL LINE, THE ENG STARTED & OPERATED NORMALLY. HOWEVER, WHEN THE ENG WAS RECONNECTED TO THE ACFT FUEL SYS, IT RAN ONLY BRIEFLY & WOULD NOT RESTART, EVEN THOUGH FUEL IN THE TANKS EXCEEDED THE UNUSABLE LVL OF 1.3 GAL/TANK. A TEST OF THE BOOST PUMP SHOWED THAT AT 23 PSI, ITS FLOW RATE WAS 9 GPH; THE PUMP SPECIFICATION WAS FOR 35 GPH AT 23 PSI.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 241 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 206 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,024 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 21, 1988; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,943 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4D5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLI Moline IL at 7:15 pm
- Destination: OMA Omaha NE
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 8,153 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 22,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:13 pm from OMA, 1 miles away
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.