Beechcraft 95-55 N54643

Summary

On 15 January 1998 at about 00:06 local time, a Beechcraft 95-55 registered N54643 was involved in an accident near Pinckneyville, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 January 1998 at 00:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Pinckneyville, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

38.0701, -89.3806

Aircraft

Beechcraft 95-55

Registration

N54643

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hillsboro → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI98FA082

1 person died.

The pilot descent below minimum descent altitude and his intentional operation with known deficiencies in equipment. Factors were the dark night, fog, rain, and the trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot told ATC that he was going to conduct a GPS approach to the destination airport with a landing on runway 18. The pilot subsequently received clearance for and initiated a night IFR approach to runway 18. The airplane impacted trees at the 75 foot level followed by impact with the terrain approximately 3.9 north of the airport. The accident debris track was on the extended centerline of the intended runway and the debris scattered on a heading in the direction of the runway. The elevation of the terrain in the area at the airport, and the accident site are similar. The owner of the airplane stated that the airplane was not equipped with a GPS system. The owner of the airplane said the pilot was known to own a handheld GPS unit. Identified at the accident site was a destroyed handheld GPS unit. The weather at the destination airport was described as 'marginal' for an approach with rain and fog according to the airplane owner who was present at the airport about the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.