- Date
- December 28, 1989, 14:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- Merrill, WI
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N37329Beech A24R
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891228057269A
- Case key
- 14519
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
Flight into known adverse weather by the pilot, and structural/wing ice. Factors related to the accident were: the icing conditions and trees in the area of the accident.
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 acft collided with trees & terrain as the plt was attempting to reach an arpt. He had told ATC psnl that structural ice was accumulating on the acft and that he was unable to maintain alt. Subsequently, the acft dscndd below an alt where radar contact could not be maintained. Air & ground search procedures were started after all contact with the acft was lost. Three days later, the acft was found by ground searchers. The weather along the route consisted of low overcast skies, below freezing temperatures & fog. Layered pieces of ice were found in the wreckage area, which were 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch thick; these pieces of ice contained inner surfaces that matched the shape of airfoils. Weather in the area was influenced by a warm front with low overcast skies, freezing temps & fog to the north of the front. Before the flt, the plt was advised of occasional moderate rime icing along his route.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N37329
- Reported as
- Beech A24R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MC-738
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- 37329 Inc.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- IWE · Ironwood, MI
- Destination
- C77 · Belvidere, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 740 total · 65 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Temperature
- -0 °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.
Other investigations on N37329 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.