- Date
- April 20, 1990, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Milwaukee, WI
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N179DDBeech F33A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900420010469A
- Case key
- 14658
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 utilization of improper procedures on the part of the pilot in command by attempting to execute a coupled approach outside the parameters of the autopilot.
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 pilot engaged the autopilot approach mode to execute a coupled ILS approach while he was high and fast with a 2000 foot per minute rate of descent. This was outside the parameters for a stabilized approach. When the autopilot captured the glide slope, the aircraft nosed over sharply, flew through the glide slope, pulled up sharply, flew through the glide slope going up, and nosed over again before the pilot could disengage the autopilot. Pilot landed the aircraft without further incident, but the pitch excursions had exceeded the stress limits of the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N179DD
- Reported as
- Beech F33A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE743
- Airframe hours
- 3,886
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-BA, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Delta Delta Partnership
- Registered owner
- Delta Delta Partnership
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1989 · 275 hours before
- Departed
- FAR · Fargo, ND
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MKE · Milwaukee Mitchell
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,003 total · 888 in this make and model · 1,915 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MKE, 4 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.
Other investigations on N179DD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.