Beech 58 accident near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, July 30, 1989
On July 30, 1989 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N1846L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Cedar Rapids airport). 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY AND EXCESSIVE AIRCRAFT CONTROL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE GROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION WHICH RESULTED FROM HAVING TO SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1989 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa · Cedar Rapids · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N1846L · no longer on the register · serial TJ-66
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT SAID THAT ABOUT 15 MINUTES INTO AN IFR CROSS COUNTRY FLT, HE NOTICED OIL STREAMING FROM THE LEFT ENGINE, AND A LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATION. REDUCTION OF POWER FAILED TO EFFECT THE LOW OIL PRESSURE, SO THE PILOT SHUT THE LEFT ENGINE DOWN AND RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. DURING THE IFR APPROACH, HE ENGAGED THE AUTO-PILOT IN ORDER TO GET AN APPROACH PLATE. THE A/P TRIMMED THE ACFT NOSE HIGH TO HOLD ALTITUDE RESULTING IN A STALL BUFFET. THE PLT MANAGED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE ACFT, AND WHEN HE MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRPORT, HE WAS NOT LINED UP WITH THE PROPER RUNWAY. HE ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER TO THE INTENDED RUNWAY, BUT LANDED HARD ON THE GRASS LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE LANDING GEAR WAS TORN OFF THE ACFT AND BOTH PROPELLERS WERE DAMAGED. POST FLIGHT INVESTIGATION REVEALED A FAILED OIL SEAL ON THE LEFT ENGINE STARTER DRIVE ASSEMBLY.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,308 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,241 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 6, 1988; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-WB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: C And R Plane Rental , INC.
The flight
- Departed from: CID Cedar Rapids IA at 2:30 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 5,450 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:24 pm from CID, 1 miles away
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.