- Date
- October 7, 1990, 22:10 local (Oct 8, 1990, 02:10 UTC)
- Place
- Ottawa, OH
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N409EBeech V35B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901007044199A
- Case key
- 36769
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
Failure of the pilot to follow the proper instrument procedure and maintain the minimum descent altitude (mda) during an approach to the airport at night in instrument meteorological 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 an IFR arrival at night, the pilot was cleared for the VOR runway 27 approach to the putnam county airport. The published minimum descent altitude (mda) for the approach was 1200 feet MSL or 437 feet AGL. Witnesses described the weather as 'foggy' with drizzle and 1 mile visibility. During the approach, the airplane struck trees that were about 60 ft tall and 1 1/2 miles east-southeast of the airport. An exam revealed that initial impact occurred with treetops on a heading of 315 deg in a wings attitude. No preimpact part failure was found. A mark on the airspeed gage indicated it was at the 140 kt position during impact. Both propeller blades had chorwise scratch marks and 's' bending at the tips. The surrounding terrain at the airport was flat and sparsley populated. The aircraft was based at the airport, and the pilot had flown in the local area for several years. No records were found to determine the pilot's instrument flight or night flight proficiency.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N409E
- Reported as
- Beech V35B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-9836
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-BA, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nelson Manufacturing Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ABE · Allentown, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- OWX · Putnam County, runway 27, 4,426 × 65 ft
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,900 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FDY, 5 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.