19970814022129A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech 200BEECH · Dalton, GA · August 14, 1997

Date
August 14, 1997 · 06:11 local
Place
Dalton, GA
Airport
Dalton Municipal
Phase of flight
Final Approach-IFR
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
ESYA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N74EJ
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA97FA232
Reported as
Beech 200BEECH
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A41
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
2,398 total103 in this make and model208 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On charter flight, came to rest inverted in two pieces and burned. (.4)the pilot was cleared for a localizer approach by atlanta center & told to maintain 5,000 ft until crossing the final approach fix (faf). Normal altitude at the faf was 2,700 ft. the pilot was unable to land from this approach & performed a missed approach. He was handed off to chattanooga approach, then was cleared to cross the faf at 3,000 ft & perform another localizer approach. About 1 mile from the faf, the pilot was told to change to the airport advisory frequency. The pilot acknowledged, then there was no further communication with the aircraft. A short time later, witnesses heard the aircraft crash near the approach end of the runway. Examination of the crash site showed the aircraft had touched down in a grass area about 1,100 ft from the end of the runway, while on the localizer. Propeller slash marks showed both engines were operating at approach power & the aircraft was at approach speed. No evidence of precrash mechanical failure or malfunction of the aircraft structure, flight controls, systems, engines, or propellers was found. The 0621 weather was in part: 300 ft overcast & 1/2 mile visib ility with fog. Minimum descent altitude (mda) for the localizer approach was 1,180 ft MSL; airport elevation was 710 ft. the pilot had flown 8 flight hrs, was on duty for 13.6 hrs the day before the accident, was off duty for about 6 hrs, & had about 4 hrs of sleep before the accident flight. (-23) see narrative #MIA97FA232.

As the FAA filed it

ON CHARTER FLIGHT, CAME TO REST INVERTED IN TWO PIECES AND BURNED. (.4)THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR A LOCALIZER APPROACH BY ATLANTA CENTER & TOLD TO MAINTAIN 5,000 FT UNTIL CROSSING THE FINAL APPROACH FIX (FAF). NORMAL ALTITUDE AT THE FAF WAS 2,700 FT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO LAND FROM THIS APPROACH & PERFORMED A MISSED APPROACH. HE WAS HANDED OFF TO CHATTANOOGA APPROACH, THEN WAS CLEARED TO CROSS THE FAF AT 3,000 FT & PERFORM ANOTHER LOCALIZER APPROACH. ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE FAF, THE PILOT WAS TOLD TO CHANGE TO THE AIRPORT ADVISORY FREQUENCY. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED, THEN THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRCRAFT. A SHORT TIME LATER, WITNESSES HEARD THE AIRCRAFT CRASH NEAR THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE CRASH SITE SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HAD TOUCHED DOWN IN A GRASS AREA ABOUT 1,100 FT FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY, WHILE ON THE LOCALIZER. PROPELLER SLASH MARKS SHOWED BOTH ENGINES WERE OPERATING AT APPROACH POWER & THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT APPROACH SPEED. NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, SYSTEMS, ENGINES, OR PROPELLERS WAS FOUND. THE 0621 WEATHER WAS IN PART: 300 FT OVERCAST & 1/2 MILE VISIB ILITY WITH FOG. MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) FOR THE LOCALIZER APPROACH WAS 1,180 FT MSL; AIRPORT ELEVATION WAS 710 FT. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN 8 FLIGHT HRS, WAS ON DUTY FOR 13.6 HRS THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, WAS OFF DUTY FOR ABOUT 6 HRS, & HAD ABOUT 4 HRS OF SLEEP BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #MIA97FA232.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.