Rockwell 114 accident near Bessemer, Alabama, January 20, 1991
On January 20, 1991, a Rockwell 114, registered N4827W, was destroyed in an accident near Bessemer, Alabama (Bessemer airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) AND MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) DURING THE VOR APPROACH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 1991
- Place
- Bessemer, Alabama · Bessemer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 114
- Registration
- N4827W · no longer on the register · serial 14157
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED FOR THE RUNWAY FIVE APPROACH. CURRENT WEATHER HAD BEEN ISSUED WHICH INCLUDED THE ALTIMETER SETTING FOR BIRMINGHAM. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEM HAD BEEN REPORTED AND THE FLIGHT APPEARED NORMAL. THE LAST RADAR HIT INDICATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS AT 1300 FEET EARLY IN THE APPROACH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ABOUT FOUR MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. IMPACT OCCURRED WITH THE TOPS OF TREES THAT WERE IN A VALLEY ABOUT 200 FEET BELOW THE AIRPORT ELEVATION. WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A 350 FOOT AREA AND DIAGONAL SLASH MARKS WERE FOUND ON TREE LIMBS THROUGHOUT THE AREA. THE AIRPORT ELEVATION WAS 699 FEET. MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) FOR THE APPROACH WAS 1260 FEET. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,140 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-T4B5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: STF Starkville MS at 11:30 pm
- Destination: 2A3 Bessemer AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 5,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.