Beechcraft A60 N4445W

Summary

On 13 April 1989 at about 00:00 local time, a Beechcraft A60 registered N4445W, operated by Gilbert Davidson, was involved in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, 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

13 April 1989 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Indianapolis (IND)

Coordinates

39.7294, -86.2903

Aircraft

Beechcraft A60

Registration

N4445W

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Gilbert Davidson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ft. Wayne → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI89LA072

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT MISJUDGED ALTITUDE AND/OR DISTANCE TO THE RUNWAY WILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARK NIGHT AND PILOT FATIGUE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE ON THE FINAL APPROACH, APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF APPROACH LIGHTS AND SUPPORT STRUCTURES. THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGED SEVENTEEN APPROACH LIGHTS ON A TOTAL OF FIVE SUPPORT STRUCTURES, BUT WAS SAFELY LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE EXECUTED A NON-STANDARD APPROACH AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL AIRSPEED, IN AN EFFORT TO ACCOMMODATE FASTER TRAFFIC BEHIND HIM ON THE APPROACH. HE SAID HIS NON-STABILIZED APPROACH RESULTED IN 'AN UNDETECTED INCREASE IN THE RATE OF DESCENT...' HE SAID THAT THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE END OF A FATIGUING DAY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.