Beech D55 accident near Greenwood, Indiana, May 26, 1989
On May 26, 1989 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Beech D55, registered N8450N, was destroyed in an accident near Greenwood, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT AND IMPROPER USE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION, AND IMPROPER USE OF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: SELF INDUCED PRESSURE BY THE PILOT TO MEET AN ARRIVAL TIME, HIS FAILURE TO EXTEND THE FLAPS BEFORE LANDING, AND THE OBSTRUCTIONS (TREE STUMP, STACK OF BRICKS, AND FENCING/BACKSTOP) IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1989 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenwood, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D55 · all D55s on the register
- Registration
- N8450N · no longer on the register · serial TE-569
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT & PAX WERE ON A FLT FM SIOUX FALLS (FSD), SD TO INDIANAPOLIS (IND), IN, TO ATND THE INDY 500 RACE. SINCE TFC WASHVY, AN ARRIVAL RESERVATION PROGRAM WAS IN EFFECT AT IND. THE PLT RPRTD HE DEPD FSD WITH THE MAIN FUEL TANKS FULL & THE AUX TANKS FILLED TO ABT 2' BLO THE FILLER NECKS. AN UNSCHED STOP WAS MADE AT CRAWFORDSVILLE (CFJ), APRX 35 MI NW OF IND.AT CFJ, THE PLT ORDERED FUEL & CALLED FSS TO GET A NEW ARRIVAL TIME AT IND, BUT DIDN'T VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL BFR TAKE-OFF. WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 31 APCH TO IND, THE PLT RPRTD A MAJOR FUEL PROBLEM. WITNESSES HEARD THE ENG(S) LOSING PWR. THE ACFT WAS MNVRD TO LND IN A SPORTS FLD; HOWEVER, IT IMPACTED SHORT OF THE FLD & HIT A STUMP, STACK OF BRICKS & FENCING/BACKSTOP BFR COMING TO REST ON FIRE. NO PREIMPACT MECH PRBLM WAS FND. THE FLAPS & LNDG GEAR WERE FND RETRACTED. THE FBO AT CFJ STATED THE OUTBOARD (AUX) TANKS SVCD WITH 55 GAL OF FUEL PER P INSTRUCTIONS (MAINS NOT SVCD). THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE FND PSND TO THE MAIN TANKS. FUEL SAMPLES CHECKED NORMAL, THOUGH FUEL ATNDNT INDCD PSBL JET FUEL.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,487 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 1988; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CFJ Crawfordsville IN
- Destination: IND Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 7,604 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from IND, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.