NYC94FA007

The pilot was returning to his temporary residence after the 1st day of a pilot proficiency course. His route took him over the lwm VOR, where he was to track left (on 145 deg course) & intercept the localizer (LOC) 157 degree course to the airport, via the final approach fix (faf). The faf was about half way between the lwm VOR & the airport. The LOC & VOR each had DME. After intercepting a 157 deg course to the VOR, the plane crossed the VOR & continued on the VOR 157 deg radial, paralleling the LOC course. After passing the VOR, the pilot reported his DME from the lwm VOR, rather than from the LOC DME at the airport. He remained above the 1800' MSL crossing altitude until about 2 mi past the faf. About 3 mi past the faf, the airplane turned left 27 degrees, flew across the LOC course, then began a descending right turn. Radar contact was lost as the plane descended below 900'. It struck the ground in a descending right turn. The 2112 EDT weather at the airport was in part: 100' obscured, vibility 1/4 mi with fog.

History of flight

On October 8, 1993, about 2100 eastern daylight time, a Beech A-36, N6AP, owned and piloted by Marvin Feldman, was destroyed when it impacted the ground during an instrument approach, 2 miles north of the Beverly Airport, Beverly Massachusetts. The pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument rules flight (IFR) plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.

The pilot was staying at a friends house in Beverly, Massachusetts, where he was house sitting and caring for the owner's pet.

The pilot had just attended the first day of a Bonanza Society of America, Pilot Proficiency Program, conducted in Concord, New Hampshire. The 3 day program was to include flight instruction and a Bi-Annual Flight Review (BFR).

At the conclusion of the first days events, instructors from the program drove the pilot to the Concord Airport (CON), where he had parked his airplane that morning. The pilot telephoned the Bangor Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) from the airport. He obtained a weather briefing for an IFR flight from CON to the Beverly Airport (BVY), Beverly, Massachusetts.

During the briefing the AFSS briefer stated, "...you're probably not going to get into...Beverly...they're reporting indefinite ceiling one hundred sky obscured one-half mile fog...If you want I'll check a couple of other stations around that area." The briefer then informed the pilot that the weather was better to the west and that Worchester, Massachusetts, was reporting scattered clouds and a visibility of 7 miles.

The pilot of N6AP stated he appreciated that and, "...I've got my car there [BVY]."

After a further discussion about weather at other airports the pilot stated, "...I could come in on the ILS, take a look and if it isn't there I can just turn around and go right back up the ILS and...go to...Lawrence [Lawrence Municipal Airport]." At the end of the briefing the pilot filed an IFR flight plan from CON to BVY and listed Lawrence Municipal as his alternate airport.

About 2040, N6AP departed CON and was issued a clearance to 3000 feet by Manchester Approach Control. N6AP was handed off to Boston Approach Control and was advised to expect the Localizer Runway 16 (LOC 16) approach to BVY.

According to the NTSB Radar Data Study, the pilot intercepted an approximate 157 degree course to the Lawrence VOR [LWM VOR] about 6 miles northwest of the VOR and flew that course to the VOR. The airplane flew over the VOR and continued on an approximate 157 degree course outbound from the VOR.

N6AP was cleared for the LOC 16 approach to BVY by the Boston Controller and was instructed to contact BVY Tower. N6AP transmitted on Boston Approach Control frequency at 2058:14, "Beverly Tower, november six alpha papa with you four point five miles...from Lawrence [VOR]..." The Boston Controller advised N6AP that he was still on Boston's frequency. The pilot then contacted BVY Tower at 2058:41, and reported on their frequency 5 miles from the LWM VOR.

Radar data confirmed that N6AP was approximately 5 miles from LWM and at an altitude of 2300 feet. The BVY Tower Controller cleared N6AP to land and advised him that he had a message for him. The pilot stated, "Uh, sir, I think I'm a little busy now can it wait till after I-----."

The BVY Controller responded to N6AP with the current altimeter setting and, "...cleared to land runway one six, advise either airport in sight or missed approach." N6AP replied, "Affirmative, I see some lights off at my eleven o'clock, not sure, those must be the town I guess."

The BVY Controller asked N6AP if was based out of Beverly and at 2059:31, N6AP replied affirmative.

About 2102, Boston Approach Control advised the BVY Tower Controller by telephone of a low altitude alert on N6AP. The BVY Controller transmitted a low altitude warning to N6AP at 2102:21.

There was no further response from N6AP.

During the flight from CON to BVY, N6AP had been assigned an altitude of 3,000 feet. When the pilot was cleared by Boston Approach Control to descend on the approach as published, the airplane was between the LWM VOR and the TAITS intersection, the LOC 16 final approach fix. The minimum altitude published for that segment of the approach was 1,800 feet. Radar data indicates that the airplane descended over the next 6 miles, reaching a minimum altitude of 2000 feet, 2 miles past TAITS.

The minimum altitude published for crossing TAITS was 1,800 feet. Past TAITS, the next published altitude for the approach was the minimum descent altitude of 580 feet.

During the descent to 2,000 feet the airplane continued to track on a course consistent with the 157 degree radial from the LWM VOR. At 0100:09, while at an altitude of 2,000 feet and at the extreme right edge of the localizer course, the airplane turned left about 27 degrees and flew across the localizer course. This was followed by a right descending turn.

The last Boston Radar observation showed N6AP in a descending right turn, at an altitude of 900 feet above mean sea level, about 2 miles north of the Beverly Airport. The airplane had completed a 270 degree right turn in the vicinity of the localizer course.

According to the owner of the residence where the airplane crashed:

"I heard a noise that sounded like a large truck or motorcycles, and then it sounded like a rocket over the house. This sound was immediately followed by a loud crash which shook the house. I turned to the back windows and saw our woods in flames..."

The accident occurred during the hours of darkness at approximately 42 degrees, 37 minutes north latitude, and 70 degrees, 57 minutes west longitude.

Personnel information

The pilot, Marvin E. Feldman, held a Private Pilot Certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Second Class Medical Certificate was issued in June 1993.

Mr. Feldman's pilot log book was destroyed in the post crash fire. Mr. Feldman's total flight time was estimated to be about 750 hours with 30 hours in the A-36.

Meteorological information

The weather at the time of the accident at Beverly Airport was an indefinite ceiling, 100 foot sky obscured, visibility 1/4 mile with fog.

The weather reported to the pilot of N6AP by the Bangor AFSS during the weather briefing was:

Beverly- indefinite ceiling 100 hundred sky obscured,

visibility 1/2 mile and fog.

Lawrence- 300 overcast, 1 mile visibility with light drizzle and fog.

Bedford- 500 overcast, visibility 1 mile and fog.

Concord- 800 broken, 20,000 overcast, visibility 5 and fog.

Wreckage and impact information

The airplane wreckage was examined at the accident site on October 9, 1993. The examination revealed that all major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene, and that the airplane came to rest on an approximate magnetic heading of 80 degrees.

An initial impact scar was discovered at the edge of a swimming pool at a private residence. Pieces of green lens and sheet metal from the right wing were found in the pool. A ground scar was observed in the dirt 12 feet long, leaving the pool on a magnetic heading of 255 degrees. A piled stone wall about 4 feet high and 2 feet wide, 20 feet from the pool edge, was knocked down. A 20 foot section of 4 foot high chain link fence with supporting steel posts, 24 feet from the pool, was torn out. A path of leveled trees and airplane pieces continued to an impact hole, 62 feet from the pool. This hole contained airplane debris and an engine valve spring. The nose of the airplane wreckage was 93 feet from the pool edge. The pilot had been ejected from th