Gulfstream AC-680F accident near Central Point, Oregon, February 9, 1985
On February 9, 1985 at about 8:48 pm local time, a Gulfstream AC-680F, registered N233W, was destroyed in an accident near Central Point, Oregon (Medford-Jackson County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were killed. 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
- February 9, 1985 · about 8:48 pm local time
- Place
- Central Point, Oregon · Medford-Jackson County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gulfstream AC-680F
- Registration
- N233W · registry record · serial 680F1284129
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED A LOSS OF POWER ON BOTH ENGS DURING DESCENT TO LAND. APRX 3 MINS PRIOR, TWR GAVE PLT OPTION OF 'STRAIGHT-IN' TO RWY 14 OR REG PATTERN TO RWY 32. THE PLT HESITATED & SAID 'JUST A MINUTE' & TWR OFFERED WIND INFO AS '210 AT 13.' PLT REPLIED, 'KAY.' APRX 1 MIN LATER PLT SAID '33W WILL MAKE A LEFT BASE FOR 14.' TWR CLEARED HIM & DECLARED VISUAL CONTACT. PLT ACKNOWLEDGED '3WHISKEY.' ONE MIN & 54 SECS LATER, PLT DECLARED PWR LOSS & EMERG. TWR ROGERED. SEVEN SECS LATER, PLT SAID 'GONNA HIT IT' FOLLOWED 2 SECS LATER WITH AN UNITELLIGIBLE COMMENT. WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT GLIDING WINGS LVL TOWARD RWY WHEN A LOUD 'REV' WAS HEARD, THE ACFT PITCHED UP & ROLLED LEFT TO AN INVERTED POSITION BEFORE GROUND CONTACT & EXPLOSION. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY ENG OR FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. THIS ACFT HAD EXPERIENCED A PWR LOSS AFTER DESCENDING FROM 15500 TO 12000 FT MSL ON 2/2/85 WITH THE SAME PLT AS REPORTED BY THE CO-PLT ON THAT FLT. AFTER APRX 1 1/2 MINUTES PWR WAS RESTORED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,867 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 9,867 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,535 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 20, 1984; 167 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGSO-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 4S1 Gold Beach OR at 8:16 pm
- Destination: MFR Medford OR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 6,700 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from MFR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 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.