- Date
- August 13, 1991, 15:28 local (20:28 UTC)
- Place
- Dalhart, TX
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N887RBeech 35-C33
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910813033919A
- Case key
- 23275
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's flight into known adverse weather. Factors were the pilot's lack of instrument experience and existing weather conditions.
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
During a day cross country flight the non-instrument-rated private pilot attempted to fly into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot had not filed a flight plan; however, he was advised on at least five occasions that the weather conditions along his route of flight were IMC, marked by low ceilings, fog, and rain. The airplane was being operated under a contract for a local municipality to carry passengers on a business trip. The airplane was forced to a low altitude due to the adverse weather and was seen flying at altitudes of 60 feet above the ground, in and out of the clouds. During a visual approach to the airport, the airplane rolled left to the inverted position and impacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N887R
- Reported as
- Beech 35-C33
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CD-260
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-J, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Sky Riders
- Registered owner
- Sky Riders
- Departed
- MCK · Mc Cook, NE
- Destination
- PVW · Plainview, TX
- Airport
- DHT · Dalhart, runway 17, 6,400 × 75 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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,049 total · 898 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- 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 N887R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.