- Date
- September 15, 1989, 21:10 local (Sep 16, 1989, 02:10 UTC)
- Place
- Mayfield, KY
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N887PEBeech 100
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890915035049A
- Case key
- 7918
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to follow IFR procedures and maintain the minimum descent altitude (mda). Factors related to the accident were: darkness, the adverse weather conditions, and the tree.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During arrival, the flt was issued the current paducah altimeter setting. The plt requested vectors for an apch to rwy 18, but the ARTCC controller (ctlr) could not accommodate the request. The plt was clrd for a vor/dme-a apch. Mda for the apch was 1080' MSL (600' AGL). At 2108 CDT, the flt chgd to the FBO freq. FBO psnl observed the acft fly over the arpt & adzd that it was too low. One of the plts replied that they would be 'staying under the clouds.' The plts had planned to land on rwy 36, but rprtd they lost sight of the rwy & would change to rwy 18. Subsequently, the acft collided with a tree about 1 mi nne of the arpt, while on a westerly hdg (aprx psn of base leg for a VFR pattern). The acft came to rest abt 700' west of the tree & was destroyed by impact & fire. No preimpact part failure/malfunction of the acft was fnd. Aprx 30 mi west at paducah, the wx was in part: 200' scattered, 900' ovc vis 3 mi with rain & fog, wnd fm 360 deg at 7 KTS. The arpt manager estimated there was a 200' ceiling at the arpt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N887PE
- Reported as
- Beech 100
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- B-49
- Airframe hours
- 9,386
- Engine
- P&W PT6-28, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Holmes
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 20, 1989 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- ORL · Orlando, FL
- Destination
- M25
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- M25 · Mayfield Graves County, runway 18, 4,625 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAH, 30 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.