Rockwell 114 N4827W

Summary

On 20 January 1991 at about 00:15 local time, a Rockwell 114 registered N4827W, operated by Frank, Randal W., was involved in an accident near Bessemer, Alabama, United States. 5 people were on board and 4 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 January 1991 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Bessemer, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Bessemer (114)

Coordinates

33.3698, -86.9605

Aircraft

Rockwell 114

Registration

N4827W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Frank, Randal W.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Starkville → Bessemer

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

ATL91FA040

4 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) AND MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) DURING THE VOR APPROACH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED FOR THE RUNWAY FIVE APPROACH. CURRENT WEATHER HAD BEEN ISSUED WHICH INCLUDED THE ALTIMETER SETTING FOR BIRMINGHAM. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEM HAD BEEN REPORTED AND THE FLIGHT APPEARED NORMAL. THE LAST RADAR HIT INDICATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS AT 1300 FEET EARLY IN THE APPROACH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ABOUT FOUR MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. IMPACT OCCURRED WITH THE TOPS OF TREES THAT WERE IN A VALLEY ABOUT 200 FEET BELOW THE AIRPORT ELEVATION. WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A 350 FOOT AREA AND DIAGONAL SLASH MARKS WERE FOUND ON TREE LIMBS THROUGHOUT THE AREA. THE AIRPORT ELEVATION WAS 699 FEET. MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) FOR THE APPROACH WAS 1260 FEET. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.