- Date
- August 21, 1989, 12:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Gold Beach, OR
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N25STBeech C90
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890821030789A
- Case key
- 40930
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's failure to initiate a go-around after emerging from a fog bank on a short final which resulted in inadequate airspeed and a stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's poor judgement in attempting the VFR approach in IMC 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
Witnesses heard the airplane circle twice before the approach. A fog bank had just rolled into the area and visibility was reduced to apprx 1 mile with the bases at 200 to 300 feet. The airplane was observed emerging from the fog in a steep left turn and descending rapidly; right of center line, on a one mile final. The left bank angle increased to near 90 degrees when the nose dipped down and the airplane collided with a parked vehicle 150 feet right of centerline and 50 feet short of the runway. UNICOM not manned. No radio in ambulance on ground. Basic weather data shown from north bend, 60 miles north.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25ST
- Reported as
- Beech C90
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LJ-507
- Airframe hours
- 6,663
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-20, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Mercy Flight
- Registered owner
- Mcglone, Ernie R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 10, 1989
- Departed
- MFR · Medford, OR
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 4S1 · Gold Beach, runway 34, 3,200 × 75 ft, dirt
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,082 total · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OTH, 60 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.