Beechcraft C90 N3804F
5 November 1989 · Gadsden, Alabama, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 5 November 1989 at about 17:38 local time, a Beechcraft C90 registered N3804F, operated by Gulf States Steel, Inc., was involved in an accident near Gadsden, Alabama, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:38
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Gadsden, Alabama, United States
- Nearest airport
- Gadsen Muni (GAD)
- Coordinates
- 34.0100, -86.0096
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft C90
- Registration
- N3804F
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Gulf States Steel, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Greer
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL90FA024
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOTS OF BOTH AIRCRAFT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE OTHER AIRCRAFT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A BEECH C90 (N3804F) & A CESSNA 172 (N52244) COLLIDED AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 200 TO 300 FT AGL AS THE 2 ACFT WERE TAKING OFF ON INTERSECTING RWYS AT AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT. THE BEECH PLTS WERE DEPARTING FROM RWY 6 WITH AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, WHILE THE CESSNA PLTS WERE IN THE PATTERN ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT, PERFORMING A TOUCH & GO. TWO ATP PILOTS WERE IN THE BEECH; AN INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) & A LOW-TIME STUDENT WERE IN THE CESSNA. BASED ON WITNESS INFORMATION, THE CESSNA CREW MADE AT LEAST 1 RADIO CALL ON UNICOM WHILE IN THE PATTERN BEFORE LNDG, AND ANOTHER CALL WHILE TAKING OFF. THE BEECH CREW REPORTEDLY MADE A RADIO CALL AS THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS BEGUN. NEITHER FLT CREW APPEARED TO TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION UNTIL JUST BEFORE IMPACT. THE BEECH PLTS HAD RECEIVED A FLT PLAN CLEARANCE ON ANOTHER FREQ SHORTLY BEFORE TAKING OFF.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft C90 C90 | N3804F | Gulf States Steel, Inc. | Destroyed |
| Cessna 172P 172P | N52244 | Aviation Services of Gadsden | Destroyed |
Other Beechcraft C90 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 1989 | Beechcraft C90 | Gold Beach, Oregon, United States | Mercy Flight | Fatal | 3 |
| 1 Oct 1989 | Beechcraft C90 | Chamblee, Georgia, United States | ROY Beatty | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Nov 1987 | Beechcraft C90 | Beaufort, South Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Jun 1987 | Beechcraft C90 | Lakeport, California, United States | Century Homes Development Co. | No injuries | - |
| 9 Apr 1992 | Beechcraft C90 | St. Augustine, Florida, United States | State of Florida | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Aug 1992 | Beechcraft C90 | Pontiac, Michigan, United States | Jabil Circuit Company, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 May 1989 | Hughes 269A | Ozark, Alabama, United States | Alabama AVI. & Tech. College | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1989 | Cessna 172 | Centreville, Alabama, United States | LEE, Charles D. | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 1989 | Cessna R172E | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 1989 | Schweizer SGS 1-26E | Alabaster, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1989 | Piper PA-24-260 | Hanceville, Alabama, United States | Haynes, Ernie H. | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Sep 1989 | Aeronca 7AC | Semmes, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |