- Date
- April 12, 1989, 20:00 local (Apr 13, 1989, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Indianapolis, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4445WBeech A60
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890412009709A
- Case key
- 14338
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 altitude and/or distance to the runway wile on final approach to land. Factors related to the accident were: dark night and pilot fatigue.
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
While on the final approach, approximately 1000 feet from the approach end of the runway, the aircraft struck the first of a series of approach lights and support structures. The aircraft damaged seventeen approach lights on a total of five support structures, but was safely landed and taxied to the ramp. The pilot reported that he executed a non-standard approach at a higher than normal airspeed, IN an effort to accommodate faster traffic behind him on the approach. He said his non-stabilized approach resulted in 'an undetected increase in the rate of descent...' He said that the accident occurred at the end of a fatiguing day.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4445W
- Reported as
- Beech A60
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- P245
- Airframe hours
- 1,900
- Engine
- Lycoming TSIO-541-E1C4, 380 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Gilbert Davidson
- Registered owner
- Davidson Management Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 31, 1988 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- FWA · Ft. Wayne, IN
- Airport
- IND · Indianapolis, runway 22R, 10,005 × 150 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,120 total · 2,248 in this make and model · 5,100 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.