- Date
- December 11, 2018, 18:00 local (Dec 12, 2018, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hartford, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6650MBeech 36
- Defining event
- Approach-IFR final approach: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181211023439A
- Case key
- 98771
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 exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain during landing in icing conditions.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot in the retractable-landing gear-equipped airplane reported that, during an instrument flight rules night flight, he initiated an approach in instrument meteorological conditions. During the approach, he saw that rime ice had accumulated on the left wing. He continued the approach, extended the landing gear, and then configured the flaps for landing. The pilot attempted to level off at 1,620 ft, although the minimum descent altitude was 1,600 ft, but the airplane stalled. He applied forward pressure on the yoke to lower the nose and applied full throttle. He recalled that the airplane was extremely slow to respond and that it was "flying on the ragged edge of stall." The airplane exited the clouds, and he could see the airport, but the airplane impacted a field about 2.4 nautical miles short of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the retractable landing gear-equipped airplane reported that during an instrument flight rules, night flight, he initiated an approach in instrument meteorological conditions. During the approach, he saw that rime ice had accumulated on the left wing. He continued the approach and extended the landing gear, and then configured the flaps for landing. The pilot attempted to level off at 1,620ft although the minimum descent altitude was 1,600ft, but the airplane stalled. He applied forward pressure on the yoke to lower the nose and applied full throttle. He recalled that the airplane was extremely slow to respond and, "flying on the ragged edge of stall." The airplane exited the clouds and he could see the airport, but the airplane impacted terrain in a field about 2.4 nautical miles short of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The manufacturer pilot operating handbook indicates on page 2-1, per the limitations section: WARNING FLIGHT IN ICING CONDITIONS IS PROHIBITED The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6650M
- Reported as
- Beech 36 (A36)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-1518
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 3,545
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-B112B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hangar50 Llc
- Registered owner
- Hangar50 Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 7, 2018
- Departed
- AZO · Kalamazoo, MS
- Destination
- HXF · Hartford, WI
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- HXF · Hartford Muni, runway 29, 3,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 22, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,158 total · 97 in this make and model · 2,102 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 80° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KETB, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 17, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.