Cessna S550 accident near Poughkeepsie, New York, February 27, 1989
On February 27, 1989 at about 1:08 pm local time, a Cessna S550, registered N29X, was destroyed in an accident near Poughkeepsie, New York (Dutches County airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE POWERPLANT CONTROLS, WHICH RESULTED IN ACTUATION (TRIPPING) OF THE REVERSE LOAD LIMITERS ON THE THRUST REVERSERS AND SUBSEQUENT REDUCTION OF AVAILABLE POWER IN BOTH ENGINES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF DISTANCE, EXCESSIVE AIRSPEED, AND IMPROPER FLARE DURING THE LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 1989 · about 1:08 pm local time
- Place
- Poughkeepsie, New York · Dutches County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna S550 · all S550s on the register
- Registration
- N29X · no longer on the register · serial S550-0096
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES RPRTD ACFT WAS HI DRG APCH & LNDD NOSEWHEEL 1ST ABT 1600' BYD THRESHOLD, THEN BCM AIRBORNE & BOUNCED 2 TIMES. PLT STATED THAT BFR TCHDWN, HE STARTED TO 'SPOOL UP' ENGS, BUT NOTED LACK OF RESPONSE, THEN RETARDED THROTTLES & LNDD. HE SAID HE APPLIED BRAKES & SELECTED 'FULL REVERSE' & NOTED NO RESPONSE. RPRTDLY, NOSEWHEEL 'SKIPPED INTO AIR' WHILE ACFT STILL HAD FLYING SPEED. WITH INSUFFICIENT RWY RMNG TO STOP, HE ELECTED TO STOW REVERSERS & BGN GO-ARND. HE NOTED NO RESPONSE FM ENGS, THO ACFT HAD BCM AIRBORNE. ACFT THEN SETTLED BYD DEP END OF RWY & CRASHED ON ROUGH TRRN. EXAM REVEALED ENGS HAD INGESTED TWIGS, GRASS & DIRT. REVERSE LOAD LIMITERS (L/L) ON BOTH ENGS WERE FND IN TRIPPED PSN. FLT MAN STATED THAT TO AVOID ACTUATION OF L/L, DO NOT ADVANCE PRIMARY THROTTLE AFTER RTRNG REVERSE THRUST LEVER TO STOW UNTIL UNLOCK LIGHT IS OUT; MAINT REQUIRED TO RESET ACTUATED L/L. L/L WAS INCORPORATED ON THRUST REVERSER TO REDUCE ENG PWR TO IDLE, IF INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED IN FLT. DRG POST-ACDNT CHK, BOTH ENGS WERE OPERD TO 85% AFTER L/L RESET.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,135 hours in all; 635 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,080 as pilot in command; 1,520 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 703 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 29, 1988; 143 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Executive Air Fleet
The flight
- Departed from: HPN White Plains NY at 12:55 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:16 pm from POU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
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.