# NTSB ATL87FA051: Beech 35-33, N210M, Blountville, TN, December 28, 1986

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: December 27, 1986, 19:19 local (Dec 28, 1986, 00:19 UTC)
- Place: Blountville, TN
- Location: 36.4873° N, 82.3976° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from NTSB’s distance and direction from TRI-CITIES (TRI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4873&lon=-82.3976&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 2 fatal
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 7276
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL87FA051
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/7276/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL87FA051

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight collision with object, approach - faf/outer marker to threshold (ifr)
  - light condition - dark night (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - low ceiling (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - fog (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - haze/smoke (contributing factor)
  - ifr procedure - improper, pilot in command (cause)
  - object - tree(s) (contributing factor)
  - proper glidepath - not followed, pilot in command (cause)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled

## Analysis

DRG VECTORS FOR A ILS RWY 23 APCH, THE PLT ALLOWED THE ACFT TO GET 400' BELOW THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 3700'. THE CONTROLLER (CTLR) QUERIED THE PLT ABOUT HIS ALT & THE PLT REPLIED HE HAD GOTTEN A LITTLE LOW, BUT WAS RETURNING TO THE ASSIGNED ALT. AFTER INTERCEPTING THE LOCALIZER (LOC), THE PLT WAS CLRD FOR THE APCH & TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. AS THE ACFT WAS ON FINAL APCH, THE TWR CTLR NOTED THAT IT WAS RGT OF COURSE & ADVISED THE PLT. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGE, BUT MOMENTS LATER, THE ELT ACTIVATED AS THE ACFT HIT TREES ON THE CROWN OF A HILL & CRASHED. INITIAL IMPACT WAS IN LVL FLT AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 1700' MSL. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 1519'. THE DECISION HEIGHT (DH) FOR THE APCH WAS 1718'. DRG THE INV, NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION WAS FND, CONCERNING THE ACFT OR NAV EQUIPMENT, THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACDNT. ABOUT 1 MIN BFR THE ACDNT, ANOTHER PLT, WHO HAD JUST COMPLETED THE APCH, RPRTD THAT HE HAD BROKEN OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT WX MINS.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N210M](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N210M-1988-04-06), registration cancelled 1988-04-06, S/N CD158 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 35-33
- Registry model: [Beech 35-33](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-35-33) (registry code 1151402) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: CD-158
- Airframe hours: 3400
- Engines: CONTINENTAL IO-470-J 225 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: W. D. Young And Company
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection: Annual, June 17, 1986, 45 hours before
- Departed: MEM, MEMPHIS, TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: TRI, Tri-City Regional, runway 23, 7,999 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 50; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 2,223 total, 741 in this make and model, 2,118 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark
- Wind: 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 200 ft
- Temperature: 36 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: TRI, 2 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19861227071609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19861227071609A), Dec 27, 1986: Beech STC35, Blountville, TN, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. The aircraft descended below glideslope and struck trees. Suspect attitude indicator failed.

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.

---
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.