What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N318DH successfully completed the GPS runway 27 approach to beaver island airport (sjx) in marginal VFR conditions. It appears that while manuevering to land on runway 09 at sjx, the pilot allowed the a/c to descend into relatively flat terrain approx. 2 miles southwest of the airport. Evidence suggests that the a/c descended into a wooded area at a shallow angle of descent under pilot control. (.19)on February 8, 2001, at about 1920 EST (EST), a swearingen SA227-AT, N318DH, piloted by a commercail pilot, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain 1.74 miles and 226 degrees magnetic from the beaver island (sjx), beaver island, Michigan. The 14 CFR part 135 on demand air taxi flight was operating in instrument meteorological conditions and was on a instruemnt flight rules flight plan. The pilot and pilot rated front seat occupant were fatally injured. Two passengers received minor injuries and two passengers received serious injuries. There were a total of six persons on board the aircraft. The flight departed the chicago midway airport, chicago, Illinois about 1700 CST (EST) and was enroute to sjx. The a/c had been cleared for the NDB or GPS runway 27 instrument approach to sjx. The instruemtn approach procedure shows a minimum descent altitude of 1,240 feet MSL for both the straight in runway 27 and circling approaches. The missed approach procedure is listed as "climb to 2400, then right turn direct sjx NDB and hold". The airport elevation at sjx is 669 feet MSL. The main wreckage was located in a densely wooded area at a GPS location of 45 degree 40.277 minutes north and 85 degrees 35.785 minutes west. The first impact point was about 365 feet and 335 degrees magnetic from the main wreckage. The four corners of the aircraft were located between the first impact point and the main wreckage. The main wreckage site consisted of the entire fuselage and the wings from a point just outboard of the right engine nacelle across the centerline to a point about 9 feet from the left wingtip. The wing structure had separated from the fuselage. The fuselage was oriented on an aprox. 155 degree heading and was resting inverted. The fuselage was separated at a point approx. even with the wing leading edge. The fuselage forward of this point was crushed. The wing center section was lying atop the fuselage and was upright facing approx. opposite of the fuselage orientation. The alnding gear was found in the down and locked position. An odor consistent with aviation jet fuel was noted around the accident site. A fluid consistent with jet fuel was noted to be leaking from the remains of the left wing fuel tank. Both engines and propellers were found in the immediate area of the main wreckage.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N318DH SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE GPS RUNWAY 27 APPROACH TO BEAVER ISLAND AIRPORT (SJX) IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. IT APPEARS THAT WHILE MANUEVERING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 09 AT SJX, THE PILOT ALLOWED THE A/C TO DESCEND INTO RELATIVELY FLAT TERRAIN APPROX. 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE A/C DESCENDED INTO A WOODED AREA AT A SHALLOW ANGLE OF DESCENT UNDER PILOT CONTROL. (.19)ON FEBRUARY 8, 2001, AT ABOUT 1920 EST (EST), A SWEARINGEN SA227-AT, N318DH, PILOTED BY A COMMERCAIL PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN 1.74 MILES AND 226 DEGREES MAGNETIC FROM THE BEAVER ISLAND (SJX), BEAVER ISLAND, MICHIGAN. THE 14 CFR PART 135 ON DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND WAS ON A INSTRUEMNT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND PILOT RATED FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT WERE FATALLY INJURED. TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF SIX PERSONS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE CHICAGO MIDWAY AIRPORT, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ABOUT 1700 CST (EST) AND WAS ENROUTE TO SJX. THE A/C HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR THE NDB OR GPS RUNWAY 27 INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO SJX. THE INSTRUEMTN APPROACH PROCEDURE SHOWS A MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE OF 1,240 FEET MSL FOR BOTH THE STRAIGHT IN RUNWAY 27 AND CIRCLING APPROACHES. THE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE IS LISTED AS "CLIMB TO 2400, THEN RIGHT TURN DIRECT SJX NDB AND HOLD". THE AIRPORT ELEVATION AT SJX IS 669 FEET MSL. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A DENSELY WOODED AREA AT A GPS LOCATION OF 45 DEGREE 40.277 MINUTES NORTH AND 85 DEGREES 35.785 MINUTES WEST. THE FIRST IMPACT POINT WAS ABOUT 365 FEET AND 335 DEGREES MAGNETIC FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE LOCATED BETWEEN THE FIRST IMPACT POINT AND THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE MAIN WRECKAGE SITE CONSISTED OF THE ENTIRE FUSELAGE AND THE WINGS FROM A POINT JUST OUTBOARD OF THE RIGHT ENGINE NACELLE ACROSS THE CENTERLINE TO A POINT ABOUT 9 FEET FROM THE LEFT WINGTIP. THE WING STRUCTURE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE WAS ORIENTED ON AN APROX. 155 DEGREE HEADING AND WAS RESTING INVERTED. THE FUSELAGE WAS SEPARATED AT A POINT APPROX. EVEN WITH THE WING LEADING EDGE. THE FUSELAGE FORWARD OF THIS POINT WAS CRUSHED. THE WING CENTER SECTION WAS LYING ATOP THE FUSELAGE AND WAS UPRIGHT FACING APPROX. OPPOSITE OF THE FUSELAGE ORIENTATION. THE ALNDING GEAR WAS FOUND IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. AN ODOR CONSISTENT WITH AVIATION JET FUEL WAS NOTED AROUND THE ACCIDENT SITE. A FLUID CONSISTENT WITH JET FUEL WAS NOTED TO BE LEAKING FROM THE REMAINS OF THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK. BOTH ENGINES AND PROPELLERS WERE FOUND IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.