# Accident 19981123031519A: Beech 95C55, Minneapolis, MN, November 23, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 23, 1998, 16:15 local time
- Place: Minneapolis, MN
- Airport: Crystal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.0602° N, 93.3808° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.0602&lon=-93.3808&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5638S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5638S-2001-07-09) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 95-C55 (registry code 1152708, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-c55) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 95C55
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,200 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA037) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981123031519A

## Narrative

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

ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH (.19)ON NOVEMBER 23, 1998, AT 1615 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH BARON BE-55, N5638S. WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING LANDING.  THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A VFR APPROACH TO RUNWAY 24R AT CRYSTAL AIRPORT, CRYSTAL, MINNESOTA, WHEN IT HIT THE TOP OF TREES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND ON FINAL APPROACH.  THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED.  THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT DEPARTED CRYSTAL AIRPORT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.                                                    (-23) AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF RUNWAY 24R, HIT TREES CLOSE TO APPROACH.  ENDED NOSE DOWN.  GEAR WAS DOWN.  PILOT ALLEGED TO HAVE TOLD RESCUE PERSONNEL THAT THE SUN WAS IN HIS EYES AND THAT HE COULD NOT SEE THE RUNWAY.  A PILOT, WHO LANDED JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, REPORTED THAT THE RUNWAY WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO THE SUN'S ANGLE.  PILOT NOT INTERVIEWED DUE TO SERIOUS INJURY.  WILL DETERMINE CORRECTIVE ACTION AFTER INTERVIEW WITH PILOT IS POSSIBLE AND UPDATE LATER.  AMENDED 8020-23 WILL FOLLOW UPON RECEIVING FURTHER INFORMATION.

## 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 CHI99LA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA037), Nov 23, 1998: Beech BE-55 (N5638S), Crystal, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot failed to maintain the proper glidepath. A factor was the sunglare.

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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