- Date
- January 29, 1994, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Leesburg, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N599LGBeech 35
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940129023929A
- Case key
- 37487
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-in-command's poor evaluation of the weather and failure to remain in visual meteorological conditions, resulting in an in-flight collision with water.
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
While in the traffic pattern, on base leg to final leg, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway when he encountered low level fog. The airplane then continued the descent and crashed into a lake.
Factual narrative
On January 29, 1994, about 0930 eastern standard time, N599LG, a Beech BE-35, registered to the pilot Thomas R. Wolf, crashed in a lake while on approach to Leesburg Airport, Leesburg, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot and instructor reported no injuries. The flight originated about 30 minutes earlier from Orlando, Florida.
The pilot/owner stated that the airplane was equipped with a throw-over yoke and both pilots signed an agreement that the owner, who was seated in the left seat would have the yoke, and be pilot-in-command. While in the traffic pattern, on base leg to final leg, the pilot encountered a fog bank, lost visual contact with the runway, and continued the decent where the airplane crashed in a lake.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N599LG
- Reported as
- Beech 35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8920
- Airframe hours
- 1,414
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-BA6, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Wolf, Thomas R.
- Registered owner
- Thomas And Phyllis Wolf
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Special, Provisional (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 14, 1993 · 96 hours before
- Departed
- ORL · Orlando, FL
- Airport
- LEE · Leesburg Municipal
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,023 total · 1,440 in this make and model · 2,023 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORL, 34 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.