# Accident 19990122000679A: Beech 95B55, Elkhart, IN, January 22, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 22, 1999, 18:40 local time
- Place: Elkhart, IN
- Airport: Elkhart Municipal
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Final Approach-IFR
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.7198° N, 85.9798° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.7198&lon=-85.9798&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40HC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N40HC-2000-06-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 95-B55 (registry code 1152705, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-b55) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 95B55
- Reported engine: CONT IO470L
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 7,400 total, 102 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99FA075](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99FA075) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990122000679A

## Narrative

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

ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES WHILE ON APPROACH TO RWY 27. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. THE OTHER PASSENGER HAS SERIOUS INJURIES. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JANUARY 22, 1999, AT 1840 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH BE-55, N40HC, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN DURING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED WORTHINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (OTG), WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA, EN ROUTE TO ELKHART MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (EKM), ELKHART, INDIANA. THE AIRPLANE WAS EXECUTING THE ILS 27 APPROACH WHEN IT HIT TREES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 200 FEET FROM THE MIDDLE MARKER. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES, AND ONE PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS CLEARED FOR THE ILS RWY 27 APPROACH. RADAR DATA INDICATED THE AIRPLANE HAD INTERCEPTED THE INBOUND APPROACH COURSE OF 271 DEGREES.  THE SURVIVING PASSENGER REPORTED HE HEARD THE LANDING GEAR EXTENSION AND SAW THE THREE LANDING GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATE.  HE REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE AIRPLANE MALFUNCTION OR HEAR ANY ABNORMAL SOUNDS . HE REPORTED HE SAW THE GLOW OF PARKING LOT LIGHTS IN THE FOG OUT THE LEFT REAR WINDOW.  HE REPORTED SEEING THE PILOT LOOKING OUT THE LEFT WINDOW AND THEN LOOKING TO THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE.  THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY IMPACTED TWO 40 FOOT PINE TREES ABOUT 800 FEET FROM THE WRECKAGE SITE.  THE RADAR DATA HIT WAS RECORDED WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 1,300 FEET MSL AND ABOUT 2.0 NM FROM THE RUNWAY.  IT INDICATED THE AIRPLANE'S GLIDE PATH WAS ABOUT 130 FEET BELOW THE ILS RWY 27'S GLIDE PATH.  THE REPORTED WEATHER WAS WINDS 120 AT 7 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 1/2 MILE, LIGHT RAIN, MIST, INDEFINITE CEILING, 200 FOOT OVERCAST, 9 DEGREES C, 29.77.  A WEATHER STATION 14 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTING THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT AS 8 DEGREES C.  GROUND FOG WAS REPORTED IN THE AREA.  THE AIRPLANE DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES.

## 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 CHI99FA075](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99FA075), Jan 22, 1999: Beech BE-55 (N40HC), Elkhart, IN, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot failed to maintain a proper glidepath and obstacle clearance. Factors were the fog and dark night.

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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