- Date
- February 17, 1989, 17:55 local (23:55 UTC)
- Place
- Hamburg, AR
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N348UBeech 58
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890217003839A
- Case key
- 34673
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 continued VFR flight into IMC conditions and failed to maintain sufficient altitude above the wooded terrain. Weather conditions, low light conditions at or near dusk, lack of visual cues (visual perception) by the pilot, and trees were contributing factors.
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 home arpt for the acft was at monroe, LA. The company plt (PIC) & another plt (cp) took the acft without company authorization. They flew to ruston, la (aprx 30 mi west of monroe) & purchased fuel, although fuel was availabe at the home arpt at a somewhat higher price. At ruston, the PIC told an acquaintance that he would be rtrng to monroe in a 'round about fashion.' At 1650 CST, the acft was observed to depart ruston in a northeasterly drctn. Subsequently, it crashed aprx 60 mi northeast of ruston (37 mi north-northeast of monroe). An investigation revealed the acft hit trees & crashed on a northwesterly hdg. The wreckage was scattered in excess of 300 ft on heavily wooded terrain. No preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft or engs was found. Wx in the area was estimated to be about 500 ft overcast, vis 2 mi with fog & light drizzle. The acdnt was estimated to have occurred at aprx 1755 CST. Official sunset at the acdnt site was 1754 CST.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N348U
- Reported as
- Beech 58
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TH677
- Airframe hours
- 5,336
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Exchange, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · February 11, 1989
- Departed
- RSN · Ruston, LA
- Destination
- MLU · Monroe, LA
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,752 total · 177 in this make and model · 177 in the last 90 days · 105 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 25 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.