- Date
- September 22, 1987, 08:02 local (13:02 UTC)
- Place
- Rockford, IL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5850SBeech H-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 8, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870922054249A
- Case key
- 13658
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
The commercial pilot was on a repositioning flight from kenosha, Wisconsin to atlanta, Georgia, after having been without sleep for about 20 hours. Witnesses observed the aircraft circling a subdivision near Rockford, Illinois at a low altitude, just above the treetops. The aircraft was in a steep left bank, described as 70-90 degrees, when it reversed direction into a steep right bank and descended into the trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5850S
- Reported as
- Beech H-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BA720
- Airframe hours
- 6,716
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Ronald W. Smith, doing business as Smith Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Ronald W Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 27, 1987 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- ENW · Kenosha, WI
- Destination
- ATL · Atlanta, GA
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
- 20
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,200 total · 800 in this make and model · 2,600 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RFD, 7 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.