Government Aircraft Fact (Gaf) N24A N418NE

Summary

On 4 May 1990 at about 11:31 local time, a Government Aircraft Fact (Gaf) N24A registered N418NE, operated by Dolphin Aviation, was involved in an accident near Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 May 1990 at 11:31

Classification

Accident

Location

Wilmington, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

New Hanover (ILM)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Government Aircraft Fact (Gaf) N24A

Registration

N418NE

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Dolphin Aviation

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Raleigh → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL90FA108

2 people died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE DURING A CIRCLING MANEUVER FOR LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: WEATHER CONDITIONS BELOW MINIMUMS FOR A CIRCLING APPROACH, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW IFR PROCEDURES.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT MADE AN ILS LOCALIZER BACKCOURSE APCH TO RWY 16 & WAS CLEARED TO LAND. HE RPRTD HE WAS INITIATING A MISSED APCH. APRX 10 SECONDS LATER, HE RPRTD THE RWY IN SIGHT & REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH TO LAND ON RWY 34. THE PLT WAS CLEARED TO LAND & THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO MANEUVER TO THE RIGHT (WEST OF THE RWY), THEN TURN BACK LEFT TO A FINAL APCH. HOWEVER, IT CRASHED SHORT OF RWY 35. AN EXAM OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE ACFT WAS IN A NORMAL UPRIGHT ATTITUDE ON A HEADING OF 340 DEG, WHEN IT CRASHED. INITIAL IMPACT WAS WITH THE APCH LIGHTING SYSTEM SHORT OF RWY 34. A KING-AIR PLT, WHO LANDED ON RWY 16 BEFORE THE ACDNT, ESTIMATED THE CLOUD BASES WERE ABOUT 400' AGL. MIN DSCNT ALT (MDA) FOR THE BACKCOURSE APCH WAS 460' MSL. MDA FOR A CIRCLING APCH TO RWY 16 WAS 550' MSL. THE ARPT ELEVATION WAS 32'.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.