# Accident 19980916038279A: Beech 58, Oakdale, WI, September 16, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 16, 1998, 07:50 local time
- Place: Oakdale, WI
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.9810° N, 90.5008° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.9810&lon=-90.5008&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4574Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4574Q-2013-08-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 58 (registry code 1152740, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-58) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 58
- Reported engine: CONT IO520CB
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 13,350 total, 1,250 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98FA349](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA349) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980916038279A

## Narrative

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

(.19)ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1998, AT 0750 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH BARON 58, N4574Q, OPERATED BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT, WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN NEAR OAKDALE, WISCONSIN. THE PILOT HAD DECLARED AND EMERGENCY DUE TO SMOKE IN THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  THE 14 CFR PART 91 BUSINESS FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN.  THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE DANE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT, MADISON, WISCONSIN, AT 0700, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO THE BURNETT COUNTY AIRPORT, NEAR SIREN, WISCONSIN.                                                         (-23) ON 09/16/98 AT APPROXIMATELY 07:00 LOCAL TIME, A BEECH BARON, BE58 N4574Q OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE STATE OF WISCONSIN DEPARTED MADISON WISCONSIN ENROUTE TO BURNETT COUNTY AIRPORT (RZN) APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES NORTH OF SIREN WISCONSIN.  AT APPROXIMATELY 07:45 THE PILOT REPORTED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT TO MINNEAPOLIS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY.  THE PILOT REQUESTED CLEARANCE TO VOLK FIELD AND WAS VECTORED TOWARD THAT AREA.  SEVERAL EYE WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING SMOKE COMING FROM THE FUSELAGE AREA OF T HE AIRCRAFT JUST PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING AT RAPID RATE AND CONTACTING SOME TREES AND CRASHING IN AN OPEN AREA ADJACENT TO A CRANBERRY BOG APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES NORTHWEST OF OAKDALE WISCONSIN AT APPROXIMATELY 07:50. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE POST CRASH FIRE.  THE PILOT AS WELL AS HIS TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. INVESTIGATION OF THIS ACCIDENT IS PRESENTLY ONGOING AND IS UNDER THE DIRECTION AND CONTROL OF THE NTSB.

## 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 CHI98FA349](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA349), Sep 16, 1998: Beech 58 (N4574Q), Oakdale, WI, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The installation of the door seal inflation system by company personnel. An additional cause was the emergency procedures not followed by the pilot-in-command. A contributing factor was 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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.