# Accident 19961228042489A: Beech C90, Rhinelander, WI, December 28, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 28, 1996, 11:45 local time
- Place: Rhinelander, WI
- Airport: Rhinelander-Oneida County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach-IFR
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.6296° N, 89.4107° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.6296&lon=-89.4107&mi=10
- Aircraft: N998VB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N998VB-1997-12-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech C90 (registry code 1152913, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-c90) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH C90
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A21
- People aboard: 8
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 932 total, 338 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97FA047](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97FA047) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961228042489A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4) THERE WERE FIVE RECORDED TRANSMISSIONS OF CONVERSATIONS FROM ONE OF THE PILOTS ABOARD THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AND THE FORT DODGE, IOWA AFSS; ONE ON 12/27 AND FOUR ON 12/28. THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR ICING INCLUDED WORDING SUCH AS '...MODERATE TO ISOLATED SEVERE ICING FROM SEVEN THOUSAND DOWNWARD FOR YOUR ENTIRE ROUTE OF FLIGHT....'  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED 'FULL FLIGHT SERVICE BRIEFINGS...' AND ALSO INDICATED THAT HE SPOKE TO FLIGHT WATCH PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.  WHILE EXECUTING THE ILS APPROACH TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER GLIDEPATH EVEN WITH THE APPLICATION OF FULL POWER.  THE PILOT MAINTAINED MARGINAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE DESCENT UNTIL IMPACT WITH TREES AND THE TERRAIN ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT.  THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS REPORTED 'VIBRATION' AND 'SHUDDER' OF THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE IMPACT.  ONE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT SHE SAW ICE FORMING ON THE LEFT 'REAR' WINGS.  PERSONS ON THE GROUND REPORTED SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS AROUND THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.                                                                                                                                                   (-23) ON DECEMBER 28, 1996, AT 281710Z BEECHCRAFT MODEL BE-90-C90, N998VB, WAS CLEARED FOR THE ILS RUNWY 09 APPROACH TO RHINELANDER ONEIDA COUNTY AIRPORT, RHINELANDER, WI, BY MINNEAPOLIS ARTCC. THE MINNEAPOLIS ARTCC LOST RADAR CONTACT ABOUT 12 MILES WEST OF THE RHINELANDER AIRPORT. THE ONEIDA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SEARCHED FOR THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND IT ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF RHINELANDER AT ABOUT 282200Z. THE PILOT AND NINE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BY THE OWNER, A PRIVATE PILOT WITH MULTIENGINE LAND AND INSTRUMENT RATINGS, UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97FA047](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97FA047), Dec 28, 1996: Beech C90 (N998VB), Rhinelander, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot-in-command's inadequate weather evaluation and continued flight into forecast severe icing conditions which exceeded the capabilty of the airplane's anti-ice/deice system. The icing…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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