Swearingen SA226-T(B) accident near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, May 20, 1990
On May 20, 1990 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Swearingen SA226-T(B), registered N161RS, suffered minor damage in an accident near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho (Coeur D'Alene airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE PILOT AND THE GROUND LINEMAN. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: IMPAIRMENT OF THE GROUND LINEMAN FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 1990 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Coeur D'Alene, Idaho · Coeur D'Alene · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA226-T(B) · all SA226-T(B)s on the register
- Registration
- N161RS · registry record · serial T341
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ASSISTANCE OF A GROUND LINEMAN WAS OBTAINED TO CONNECT AN EXTERNAL POWER UNIT. AFTER THE ENGINES WERE STARTED, THE LINEMAN DISCONNECTED THE POWER UNIT. THE PILOT NOTED THE DISCONNECT AND COMPLETED THE CHECKLIST. WHEN HE LOOKED UP TO FIND THE LINEMAN, HE SAW AN INDIVIDUAL WALKING AWAY FROM HIS AIRPLANE AND ASSUMED THAT IT WAS THE LINEMAN THAT HAD BEEN ASSISTING HIM. THE PILOT RELEASED THE BRAKES AND STARTED FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE AIRPLANE. THE LINEMAN, HOWEVER, WAS STILL NEXT TO THE AIRPLANE AT THE EXTERNAL POWER RECEPTACLE, WHICH WAS LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE NOSE IN FRONT OF THE PROPELLER. THE LINEMAN AND POWER UNIT WERE STRUCK BY THE RIGHT PROPELLER. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF THE LINEMAN'S BLOOD SHOWED IT HAD AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.037%.
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; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,800 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 5,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bertea Aviation INC.
The flight
- Destination: 65S Bonners Ferry ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 N161RS 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.