Gulfstream 690A incident near Bismark, North Dakota, March 21, 1989
On March 21, 1989 at about 2:30 am local time, a Gulfstream 690A, registered N690MF, was involved in an incident near Bismark, North Dakota (Bismarck Muni airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A FAILED (CRACKED) ENGINE PLENUM RESULTING IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 1989 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Bismark, North Dakota · Bismarck Muni · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gulfstream 690A
- Registration
- N690MF · registry record · serial 11103
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CLIMBING AFTER TAKEOFF AT NIGHT, THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILED. THE FIGHT CREW SECURED THE RIGHT ENGINE & RETURNED TO A SAFE LANDING AT THE AIRPORT. AN ENGINE INSPECTION REVEALED A CRACK IN THE PLENUM COMBUSTOR CHAMBER. THE CRACK EMINATED FROM A WELD BETWEEN TWO EXTERNALLY FIXED (WELDED) MOUNTS. THIS WAS THE SECOND PLENUM CHAMBER USED ON THIS ENGINE IN SIX MONTHS AND WAS OBTAINED FROM SPARE PARTS OF ANOTHER AIRCRAFT. IT WAS VISUALLY DETERMINED TO BE AIRWORTHY. NO OPERATIONAL HISTORY WAS AVAILABLE ON THIS PLENUM, NOR WAS THERE A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT. REPLACEMENT WAS ON CONDITION, AND DAMAGE CONDITIONS WERE REQUIRED TO MEET THE MANUFACTURERS CRITERIA.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,596 hours in all; 384 in this make and model; 255 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 5,416 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,565 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 10, 1989; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,300 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-5-251K (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: FAR Fargo ND
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from BIS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N690MF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.