- Date
- July 10, 1991, 18:12 local (23:12 UTC)
- Place
- Birmingham, AL
- Injuries
- 13 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7217LBeech C99
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report August 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19910710027039A
- Case key
- 15952
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 decision of the captain to initiate and continue an instrument approach into clearly identified thunderstorm activity, resulting in a loss of control of the airplane from which the flightcrew was unable to recover and subsequent collision with obstacles and the terrain. (NTSB report AAR-92/01)
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 airplane crashed into houses while on an ILS approach to runway 5 at the Birmingham airport. The weather briefing data that the captain received in mobile was accurate, advising him to expect thunderstorms in the Birmingham area. Birmingham ATIS information whiskey and x-ray, mentioning thunderstorms, was also accurate, and the flightcrew heard them, as well as information from the approach controller that the airport was experiencing thunderstorm activity.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7217L
- Reported as
- Beech C99
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U226
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-36, 650 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- L'Express Airlines, Inc.
- Registered owner
- L'Express Airlines, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · June 20, 1991
- Departed
- MOB · Mobile, AL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BHM · Birmingham Airport, runway 5, 10,000 × 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
- 54
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,141 total · 553 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BHM, 2 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.