Beech A-36 accident near Brainerd, Minnesota, June 17, 1994
On June 17, 1994 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Beech A-36, registered N1525G, was destroyed in an accident near Brainerd, Minnesota (Crow Wing County Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 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
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE, AND HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN AND/OR MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO AVOID COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT FLYING EXPERIENCE, AND THE CONTROLLER'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW STANDARD PROCEDURES AND TO PROVIDE MORE COMPLETE AND HELPFUL GUIDANCE TO THE INEXPERIENCED PILOT DURING THE APPROACH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 1994 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Brainerd, Minnesota · Crow Wing County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A-36 · all A-36s on the register
- Registration
- N1525G · registry record · serial E-2462
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. PRIOR TO THE APPROACH, THE PILOT TOLD ATC THAT HE 'NEEDED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET. I'M KIND OF NEW AT THIS.' HE WAS THEN CLEARED TO DESCEND AND BEGAN RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS FOR THE ILS APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO HEAD TOWARDS A NEARBY VOR AFTER BEING VECTORED TO THE LOCALIZER COURSE. THE PILOT RADIOED THAT HE WAS NOT ON THE LOCALIZER AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. ATC PROVIDED ANOTHER VECTOR AND CLEARED THE AIRPLANE FOR THE APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE INTERCEPTED THE LOCALIZER AND THEN DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. RADIO COMMUNICATION WAS LOST AFTER THE PILOT DECLARED A MISSED APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED HIS INSTRUMENT RATING 6 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. SEVERAL PROCEDURES SPECIFIED IN THE ATC HANDBOOK WERE NOT FOLLOWED BY THE CONTROLLER. AFTER THE PILOT INITIALLY BEGAN TO STRAY FROM THE LOCALIZER COURSE, HE WAS NOT INFORMED OF HIS POSITION RELATIVE TO THE LOCALIZER, NOR WAS AN INQUIRY MADE AS TO THE PILOT'S INTENTIONS. IN ADDITION, THE VECTOR PROVIDED TO INTERCEPT THE LOCALIZER COURSE RESULTED IN AN INTERCEPT ANGLE OF 40 DEG; THE ATC HANDBOOK STIPULATES A MAXIMUM INTERCEPT ANGLE OF 30 DEG.
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
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,260 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 7, 1994; 110 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B(6) (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Duncan Aviation INC. & T.Hayes
The flight
- Departed from: LNK Lincoln NE at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from BRD, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.