- Date
- November 28, 1989, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Chesapeake, VA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3359QCessna 421B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891128047449A
- Case key
- 11571
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
The pilot misjudged distance and altitude to the runway, while on final approach to land. The light condition at dusk was a related factor.
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
The plt returned to the arpt at dusk & made a visual apch to rwy 23. He rprtd that as the acft was descending thru 350 ft MSL on final apch, it was aligned with the rwy, the airspeed was 105 KTS & the flaps were extended 25 deg. However, the acft hit trees & crashed about 1/8 mi short of the rwy. No mechanical malfunction was rprtd. The arpt elevation was 20 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3359Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 421B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421B0243
- Airframe hours
- 3,760
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520-H, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Mid Eastern Airways, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Fay-Hof
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 4, 1989 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- OCW · Washington, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- W36 · Chesapeake, runway 23, 3,590 × 60 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
- 45
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 10,800 total · 35 in this make and model · 9,500 as pilot in command · 165 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.