# Accident 19990114026339A: Beech 300BEECH, Cullman, AL, January 14, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 14, 1999, 09:18 local time - Place: Cullman, AL - Airport: Folsom Field Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Missed Approach IFR - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.1796° N, 86.9309° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1796&lon=-86.9309&mi=10 - Aircraft: N780BF, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N780BF-1999-03-02) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech 300 (registry code 1152930, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 300BEECH - Reported engine: PWA PT6A60A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 4,100 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL99FA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99FA044) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990114026339A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.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. ## 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 ATL99FA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99FA044), Jan 14, 1999: Beech 300 (N780BF), Cullman, AL, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to adhere to the missed approach procedure resulting in a collision with terrain. Contributing factors were fog and the rotorcraft rated pilot's lack of fixed wing… 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.