What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed 8 miles sw of westheimer arpt while on localizer approach to rwy 3. (.4)on December 6, 1998, at 0934 central standard time, a Beech 58, twin-engine airplane, N1826S, was destroyed upon impact with terrain following an in-flight encounter with severe weather while on a localizer instrument approach near newcastle, Oklahoma. The instrument rated private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. The airplane was operating in instrument meteorological conditions and an IFR flight plan was filed for the title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the idabel airport (F62), near idabel, Oklahoma, at approximately 0852, with the max westheimer airport (oun), in Norman, Oklahoma, as its intended destination. (Oun is located 152-nautical miles northwest of F62.) At 0915, a Boeing 737, southwest airlines (swa) flight 474 from dallas love field airport (dal) to Oklahoma city will rogers world airport (okc), executed a missed approach after encountering severe turbulence and wind shear duri ng an instrument approach to runway 35R at okc. (Okc is located 12-nautical miles northwest of oun.) The flight diverted back to dal due to the weather in the okc area. The captain stated that the event was prominent at 3,000 feet after the glide slope was captured. The captain further reported that the airspeed fluctuated plus or minus 50 knots. The pilot of N1826S was advised by air traffic control of the severe turbulence/wind shear encounter reported by the southwest flight. N1826S was in level flight at 4,000 feet, operating in smooth air at that time. According to oun control tower personnel, the pilot established radio contact with them at 0932 while the airplane was inbound for the localizer approach to runway 03 at oun. About a minute later, the airplane was observed on radar about one mile north of the final approach course. The pilot reported that he was not going to be able to continue the approach. When questioned by the tower about his intentions, the pilot replied, "I am going to stay right here until I get out of some of this." The pilot did not reply to any further radio calls from the tower. A witness near the accident site observed the airplane descending out o f the clouds heading in a westerly direction with a 45-degree nose down attitude. The witness lost sight of the airplane, heard the sound of the ground impact, and soon thereafter heard the sirens from the fire and rescue vehicles. (-23) pilot lost control after continuing flight into adverse weather conditions resulting in collision with terrain.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED 8 MILES SW OF WESTHEIMER ARPT WHILE ON LOCALIZER APPROACH TO RWY 3. (.4)ON DECEMBER 6, 1998, AT 0934 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 58, TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N1826S, WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE WEATHER WHILE ON A LOCALIZER INSTRUMENT APPROACH NEAR NEWCASTLE, OKLAHOMA. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE IDABEL AIRPORT (F62), NEAR IDABEL, OKLAHOMA, AT APPROXIMATELY 0852, WITH THE MAX WESTHEIMER AIRPORT (OUN), IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AS ITS INTENDED DESTINATION. (OUN IS LOCATED 152-NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF F62.) AT 0915, A BOEING 737, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES (SWA) FLIGHT 474 FROM DALLAS LOVE FIELD AIRPORT (DAL) TO OKLAHOMA CITY WILL ROGERS WORLD AIRPORT (OKC), EXECUTED A MISSED APPROACH AFTER ENCOUNTERING SEVERE TURBULENCE AND WIND SHEAR DURI NG AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO RUNWAY 35R AT OKC. (OKC IS LOCATED 12-NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF OUN.) THE FLIGHT DIVERTED BACK TO DAL DUE TO THE WEATHER IN THE OKC AREA. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT THE EVENT WAS PROMINENT AT 3,000 FEET AFTER THE GLIDE SLOPE WAS CAPTURED. THE CAPTAIN FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE AIRSPEED FLUCTUATED PLUS OR MINUS 50 KNOTS. THE PILOT OF N1826S WAS ADVISED BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OF THE SEVERE TURBULENCE/WIND SHEAR ENCOUNTER REPORTED BY THE SOUTHWEST FLIGHT. N1826S WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT 4,000 FEET, OPERATING IN SMOOTH AIR AT THAT TIME. ACCORDING TO OUN CONTROL TOWER PERSONNEL, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH THEM AT 0932 WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS INBOUND FOR THE LOCALIZER APPROACH TO RUNWAY 03 AT OUN. ABOUT A MINUTE LATER, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED ON RADAR ABOUT ONE MILE NORTH OF THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH. WHEN QUESTIONED BY THE TOWER ABOUT HIS INTENTIONS, THE PILOT REPLIED, "I AM GOING TO STAY RIGHT HERE UNTIL I GET OUT OF SOME OF THIS." THE PILOT DID NOT REPLY TO ANY FURTHER RADIO CALLS FROM THE TOWER. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING OUT O F THE CLOUDS HEADING IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION WITH A 45-DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE WITNESS LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE, HEARD THE SOUND OF THE GROUND IMPACT, AND SOON THEREAFTER HEARD THE SIRENS FROM THE FIRE AND RESCUE VEHICLES. (-23) PILOT LOST CONTROL AFTER CONTINUING FLIGHT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH TERRAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.