- Date
- December 26, 1994, 06:30 local (11:30 UTC)
- Place
- Arcadia, FL
- Injuries
- 3 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N546VBeech 95-C55
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report April 5, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941226042139A
- Case key
- 37716
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
Poor in flight planning/decision by the pilot for electing to land with fog on the airstrip. Contributing to the accident was failure of the pilot to obtain a formal preflight weather briefing and his failure to fully apply the brakes (normal) after landing. Also contributing to the accident was failure of the pilot to retract the flaps from the fully extended position during the aborted landing.
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 pilot obtained a weather briefing from the tv weather channel before departure and fog was not mentioned nor did the pilot obtain any other weather briefing. Upon arrival at the destination airstrip he circled several times until light conditions improved. He landed with the flaps fully extended, encountered fog, and did not fully apply the normal brakes to stop. Realizing that there was insufficient runway remaining to stop he applied throttle to go around; however, he did not retract the flaps. The airplane became airborne but collided with a gate, trees, then the ground.
Factual narrative
On December 26, 1994, about 0630 eastern standard time, a Beech 95-C55, N546V, registered to F. Browne Gregg, crashed during an aborted landing attempt at a private airstrip near Arcadia, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot and two passengers were seriously injured. The flight originated about 0550 from the Leesburg Municipal Airport, Leesburg, Florida.
The pilot stated that before departure he watched the TV weather channel to determine weather conditions for the route of flight. Fog was not mentioned for the destination airstrip area and he did not obtain any other weather briefing. Upon arrival at the destination airstrip he orbited several times due to low light conditions. When the light conditions improved, he observed fog near the airstrip and stated to his passengers "we need to get on the ground or go home." After touchdown about half way down the 2,552-foot grass runway with the flaps fully extended, he encountered "dense" fog. He further stated that he was concentrating on the airplane's instruments and did not fully apply the brakes. After observing the runway again he applied full throttle to go around, realizing that there was insufficient runway remaining to stop. He further stated that both engines operated normally and he did not retract the flaps. The airplane then collided with a gate, trees, and came to rest inverted on the ground.
Review of the pilot's operating handbook regarding balked landing procedures revealed that the flaps are to be raised to 0 degrees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N546V
- Reported as
- Beech 95-C55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-165
- Airframe hours
- 6,320
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gregg, F. Browne
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport; Standard, Normal; Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 16, 1994 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- LEE · Leesburg, FL
- Airport
- Cmi, runway 1, 2,552 × ft, grass/turf
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
- 72
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 8,000 in this make and model · 11,600 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FMY, 37 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.