Beechcraft 99A N955AA

Summary

On 18 October 2004 at about 04:14 local time, a Beechcraft 99A registered N955AA was involved in an accident near Billings, Montana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 October 2004 at 04:14

Classification

Accident

Location

Billings, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Billings Logan International (BIL)

Coordinates

45.8078, -108.5428

Aircraft

Beechcraft 99A

Registration

N955AA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Great Falls → Billings

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

SEA05LA010

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to follow the instrument approach procedure, which resulted in a premature descent below the decision height and subsequent collision with a building.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a night instrument landing system (ILS) approach to minimums, two low altitude alerts were issued by the air traffic controller to the pilot of the airplane. Following the second alert, the pilot executed a missed approach and reported instrument flags. During the climb, the pilot found that the landing gear would not retract. He recycled the gear and attempted to lower it manually; however, he was unable to get a green light for the right main landing gear. He requested to proceed to another airport and upon arriving there executed an ILS approach without any problems. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the airplane revealed that the upper drag brace for the right main landing gear was torn away from the spar. Examination of the roof of a gun club building, located about 1.65 miles from the runway threshold (at the airport where the pilot executed a missed approach) and 607 feet left of centerline, revealed two impact marks spaced about 14 feet apart, a distance corresponding to the main gear width of the airplane. Additionally, landing gear drag brace pieces identified as coming from the airplane were found about 80 yards from the building. The elevation of the building roof was about 35 feet below the decision height for the approach, indicating the airplane had descended below decision height prior to reaching the middle marker. The FAA conducted a flight inspection of the ILS and found the facility operation to be satisfactory. The navigational equipment in the accident airplane was tested, and no anomalies were found that would have affected an ILS approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.