- Date
- November 11, 1985, 18:04 local (23:04 UTC)
- Place
- Derry, PA
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N59MDCessna 441
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851111059659A
- Case key
- 13533
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Drg arrival, the plt was advised the destn wx was: estd 500' overcast, vis 1 mi with fog, arpt blo mins. The plt electedto make an NDB rwy 23 apch, but said he would divert if a missed apch was made. He was provided radar vectors & was clrdfor the apch. At the iaf (initial apch fix/tiney intxn), radar svc was terminated & the plt was told to contact twr. On twr freq, the plt was again reminded the arpt was blo mins. Aprx 2 min later, he rprtd ovr the outer marker (om) which was 4.2 mi past (sw of) the ndb/final apch fix (faf) & 3.9 mi NE of the arpt. Seconds later, the twr x-mitted info (justrecd fm ARTCC) that the acft was 2-1/2 mi east of course. Twr tried to notify the plt, but radio & radar contact were lost. Inv revealed the acft impacted a ridge nrly 4 mi past the NDB & 2 mi left of course at an elev of aprx 1900', but bfr passing the om. Min dscnt alt (mda) btn the NDB & om was 2220' MSL. Mda after passing the 0M was 1940'; arpt elev was 1161'. No preimpact acft problems were fnd. The NDB facility operated saftisfactorily during flt & ground checks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59MD
- Reported as
- Cessna 441
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0177
- Airframe hours
- 1,760
- Engine
- Airesearch TPE 331, 635 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hy Flight Assoc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 11, 1985 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- RFD · Rockford, IL
- Destination
- LBE · Latrobe, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LBE · Westmoreland County, runway 23, 5,500 × 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
- 40
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 13,500 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LBE, 6 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.