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CHI89FA128

1989-07-07 · BATTLE CREEK, Michigan, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport BTL

N9253A has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (KROKKER KERMIT KROKKER), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE FLIGHT CREW INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE AFTER THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER, AND THE COPILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE MANEUVERING THE AIRCRAFT BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE FUEL SELECTOR (PROBABLY) BY THE COPILOT AND IMPROPER MONITORING BY THE OTHER PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION TO THE RIGHT ENGINE.

Factual narrative

DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST POWER & THAT THEY WOULD RETURN FOR A LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO CIRCLE TO THE LEFT WITH THE RIGHT PROP FEATHERED. DURING THE TURN TO THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED & CRASHED IN A SWAMPY AREA THAT WAS SURROUNDED BY TREES. A POST IMPACT FIRE ERUPTED & DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION VERIFIED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER HAD BEEN FEATHERED. THE FUEL SELECTOR FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS FOUND POSITIONED BETWEEN 'OFF' & 'ON.' THE MAGNETO SWITCH FOR THE LEFT ENGINE WAS FOUND IN THE 'OFF' POSITION, WHILE THE MAGNETO SWITCH FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS IN THE 'BOTH' POSITION. REMNANTS OF THE THROW-OVER YOKE SHOWED THAT IT WAS POSITIONED TO THE COPILOT'S SIDE. THE COPILOT'S FLIGHT TIME IN THE BEECH 58 WAS NOT VERIFIED. BOTH ENGS WERE REMOVED & PREPARED FOR OPERATIONAL CHECKS. AFTER WATER CONTAMINATION WAS CLEANED FROM THE ENGINES, BOTH WERE STARTED & RAN SUCCESSFULLY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_CHI89FA128.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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