What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On January 14, 1999, at 0918 central standard time a Beech 300, N780BF, collided with the ground following a missed approach to Cullman airport in Cullman, Alabama. The aircraft was operated by usa healthcare-leasing as an executive/corporate airplane, under the provisions of title 14, CFR part 91, and instrument flight rules. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane departed greenville, south carolina, exact time unknown. According to air traffic control (ATC), the pilot filed an IFR flight plan using a reserved registration number N66FB, and type of aircraft as a BE-200. Shortly before the accident the airplane was cleared to fly an NDB approach to runway 20. Shortly after the clearance the pilot contacted ATC at huntsville, Alabama and informed them that he was executing a missed approach. The aircraft impacted the ground three miles northwest of the airport. Several witnesses stated that they could hear the airplane flying low over their homes but could not see it due to the foggy conditions. (.4)the airplane descended to 2,600 feet to the NDB, and initiated the approach upon crossing the NDB. As the airplane descended below 1,500 feet MSL, huntsville lost radar contact. The next communication with the airplane was when the pilot radioed that he was initiating the missed approach. The published missed approach procedure is, 'climbing lift turn to 2,700 direct cpp NDB and hold.' The airplane made a series of turns within the next one minute and 24 seconds. Additionally, the airplane's altitude varied but it never climbed above the altitude of 1,700 feet. The airplane wreckage was located approximately 3.5 miles north of the airport on a 345 degree heading on the opposite side of the outbound course to the NDB. Witnesses in the immediate area stated that they could hear the airplane flying low over their homes but could not see it due to the foggy conditions. A review of pilot records did not show the pilot having any fixed wing airplane experience. (-23)on January 14, 1999, privacy data omitted departed greenville, s.c. in a Beechcraft king air 300. He had obtained a weather brief from flight service and filed an IFR flight plan to Cullman, AL (3A1). privacy data omitted Depa rted and flew to al. Where he was cleared by the huntsville al. Radar approach to execute the NDB 20 instrument approach to the cullamn airport (3A1). It apprears that the pilot attempted to execute the approach and was unable to see the runway at the published missed approach point due to ceilings below the minimum descent altitude and reduced visibility and institude a missed approach. The aircraft crashed during the missed approach portion of the flight approximately 2.5 miles nw of the airport. The pilot had been issued a military competency add-on commerical fixed wing certificate based on fraudulent documentation he had supplied the FAA. The pilot also fraudulently modified his fixed wing temporary certificate to indicate a BE-300 type certificate.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JANUARY 14, 1999, AT 0918 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME A BEECH 300, N780BF, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND FOLLOWING A MISSED APPROACH TO CULLMAN AIRPORT IN CULLMAN, ALABAMA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY USA HEALTHCARE-LEASING AS AN EXECUTIVE/CORPORATE AIRPLANE, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, AND INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN. ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC), THE PILOT FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN USING A RESERVED REGISTRATION NUMBER N66FB, AND TYPE OF AIRCRAFT AS A BE-200. SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE AIRPLANE WAS CLEARED TO FLY AN NDB APPROACH TO RUNWAY 20. SHORTLY AFTER THE CLEARANCE THE PILOT CONTACTED ATC AT HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA AND INFORMED THEM THAT HE WAS EXECUTING A MISSED APPROACH. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND THREE MILES NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. SEVERAL WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY COULD HEAR THE AIRPLANE FLYING LOW OVER THEIR HOMES BUT COULD NOT SEE IT DUE TO THE FOGGY CONDITIONS. (.4)THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TO 2,600 FEET TO THE NDB, AND INITIATED THE APPROACH UPON CROSSING THE NDB. AS THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BELOW 1,500 FEET MSL, HUNTSVILLE LOST RADAR CONTACT. THE NEXT COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRPLANE WAS WHEN THE PILOT RADIOED THAT HE WAS INITIATING THE MISSED APPROACH. THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE IS, 'CLIMBING LIFT TURN TO 2,700 DIRECT CPP NDB AND HOLD.' THE AIRPLANE MADE A SERIES OF TURNS WITHIN THE NEXT ONE MINUTE AND 24 SECONDS. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE VARIED BUT IT NEVER CLIMBED ABOVE THE ALTITUDE OF 1,700 FEET. THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 3.5 MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT ON A 345 DEGREE HEADING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE OUTBOUND COURSE TO THE NDB. WITNESSES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA STATED THAT THEY COULD HEAR THE AIRPLANE FLYING LOW OVER THEIR HOMES BUT COULD NOT SEE IT DUE TO THE FOGGY CONDITIONS. A REVIEW OF PILOT RECORDS DID NOT SHOW THE PILOT HAVING ANY FIXED WING AIRPLANE EXPERIENCE. (-23)ON JANUARY 14, 1999, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ DEPARTED GREENVILLE, S.C. IN A BEECHCRAFT KING AIR 300. HE HAD OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEF FROM FLIGHT SERVICE AND FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO CULLMAN, AL (3A1). ^PRIVACY DA^ DEPA RTED AND FLEW TO AL. WHERE HE WAS CLEARED BY THE HUNTSVILLE AL. RADAR APPROACH TO EXECUTE THE NDB 20 INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE CULLAMN AIRPORT (3A1). IT APPREARS THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE THE APPROACH AND WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE RUNWAY AT THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH POINT DUE TO CEILINGS BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE AND REDUCED VISIBILITY AND INSTITUDE A MISSED APPROACH. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED DURING THE MISSED APPROACH PORTION OF THE FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES NW OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT HAD BEEN ISSUED A MILITARY COMPETENCY ADD-ON COMMERICAL FIXED WING CERTIFICATE BASED ON FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTATION HE HAD SUPPLIED THE FAA. THE PILOT ALSO FRAUDULENTLY MODIFIED HIS FIXED WING TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE TO INDICATE A BE-300 TYPE CERTIFICATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.