Beechcraft BE-55 N40HC

Summary

On 22 January 1999 at about 23:40 local time, a Beechcraft BE-55 registered N40HC was involved in an accident near Elkhart, Indiana, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 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

22 January 1999 at 23:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Elkhart, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Elkhart Municipal Airport (EKM)

Coordinates

41.7198, -85.9799

Aircraft

Beechcraft BE-55

Registration

N40HC

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Worthington → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI99FA075

2 people died.

the pilot failed to maintain a proper glidepath and obstacle clearance. Factors were the fog and dark night.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was cleared for the ILS Rwy 27 approach. Radar data indicated the airplane had intercepted the inbound approach course of 271 degrees. The surviving passenger reported he heard the landing gear extension and saw the three landing gear indicator lights illuminate. He reported that he did not hear the airplane malfunction or hear any abnormal sounds. He reported he saw the glow of parking lot lights in the fog out the left rear window. He reported seeing the pilot looking out the left window and then looking to the front of the airplane. The airplane initially impacted two 40 foot pine trees about 800 feet from the wreckage site. The radar data hit was recorded when the airplane was about 1,300 feet msl and about 2.0 nm from the runway. It indicated the airplane's glide path was about 130 feet below the ILS Rwy 27's glide path. The reported weather was winds 120 at 7 knots, visibility 1/2 mile, light rain, mist, indefinite ceiling, 200 foot overcast, 9 degrees C, 29.77. A weather station 14 miles from the accident was reporting the temperature and dew point as 8 degrees C. Ground fog was reported in the area. The airplane did not exhibit any pre-impact anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.