- Date
- April 9, 1991, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Chippewa Falls, WI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8012TBeech F.33A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910409009569A
- Case key
- 14898
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 first pilot's continued flight in known adverse weather. Factors in the accident were the first pilot's poor weather evaluation, the second pilot's complacency and the first pilot's self induced pressure to complete a checkout in model.
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
Two instrument rated pilots intended a checkout in model for the first pilot. Temperatures near freezing, low ceilings and low visibility in precipitation existed over the area. The first pilot filed an IFR flight plan for a 30 minute, local flight. Airborne, flight twice amended its cruise altitude, its destination twice and arrived back at origin for approach. The pilot reported having 'quite a bit of ice' before clearance for his approach. The aircraft, configured to land, flew into trees upright, in a shallow descent while circling from the approach course to the opposite runway. Engine controls were full forward and power was evident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8012T
- Reported as
- Beech F.33A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE 1504
- Airframe hours
- 64
- Engine
- Continental 10-520-BB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Truckaline Suspension Centers
- Registered owner
- Truckaline Suspension Centers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1991 · 5 hours before
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- EAU · Eau Claire, runway 4, 7,301 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 208 total · 123 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 600 ft
- Temperature
- 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EAU, 1 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.