# Accident 19980114000359A: Beech 9555, Pinckneyville, IL, January 14, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 14, 1998, 18:06 local time
- Place: Pinckneyville, IL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Final Approach-IFR
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.0701° N, 89.3806° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0701&lon=-89.3806&mi=10
- Aircraft: N54643, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N54643-1998-07-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 95-55 (registry code 1152702, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-55) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 9555
- Reported engine: CONT IO470L
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 1,300 total, 700 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98FA082](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA082) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980114000359A

## Narrative

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

APPARENTLY MISSED GPS APPROACH. LOST CONTROL IN HEAVY RAIN AND FOG ON GO AROUND. (.4)THE PILOT TOLD ATC THAT HE WAS GOING TO CONDUCT A GPS APPROACH TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WITH A LANDING ON RUNWAY 18. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVED CLEARANCE FOR AND INITIATED A NIGHT IFR APPROACH TO RUNWAY 18.  THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AT THE 75 FOOT LEVEL FOLLOWED BY IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 3.9 NORTH OF THE AIRPORT.  THE ACCIDENT DEBRIS TRACK WAS ON THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF THE INTENDED RUNWAY AND THE DEBRIS SCATTERED ON A HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE RUNWAY.  THE ELEVATION OF THE TERRAIN IN THE AREA AT THE AIRPORT, AND THE ACCIDENT SITE ARE SIMILAR. THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A GPS SYSTEM.  THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE SAID THE PILOT WAS KNOWN TO OWN A HANDHELD GPS UNIT.  IDENTIFIED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS A DESTROYED HANDHELD GPS UNIT. THE WEATHER AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS DESCRIBED AS 'MARGINAL' FOR AN APPROACH WITH RAIN AND FOG ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANE OWNER WHO WAS PRESENT AT THE AIRPORT ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.                                                                                                     (-23) THE PILOT IDENTIFIED IN BLOCK 31 HAD RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO LAND AT PINCKNEYVILLE-DUQUOIN AIRPORT BY KANSAS CITY ARTCC. THE PILOT THEN INDICATED TO KANSAS CITY ARTCC HIS INTENTIONS TO USE A GPS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 18. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO TREES AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT AND POST-CRASH FIRE.  THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES NORTH OF RUNWAY 18.  APPARENT PATH OF FLIGHT, AS NOTED BY DAMAGE TO TREES, PLACES THE AIRCRAFT ON A 180 DEGREE HEADING.  THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.

## 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 CHI98FA082](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA082), Jan 15, 1998: Beech 95-55 (N54643), Pinckneyville, IL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot descent below minimum descent altitude and his intentional operation with known deficiencies in equipment. Factors were the dark night, fog, rain, and the trees.

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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