Beech D-95A TRAVELAIR accident near Dunbar, Wisconsin, January 6, 2000
On January 6, 2000 at about 9:40 am local time, a Beech D-95A TRAVELAIR, registered N5918S, was destroyed in an accident near Dunbar, Wisconsin (Ford Airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot failed to maintain a proper glidepath and obstacle clearance during an instrument approach. Additional factors to the accident included the dark night, icing conditions, flight into known adverse weather, and conditions conducive to pilot fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 2000 · about 9:40 am local time
- Place
- Dunbar, Wisconsin · Ford Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D-95A TRAVELAIR D-95A TRAV · all D-95A TRAVELAIRs on the register
- Registration
- N5918S · no longer on the register · serial TD653
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted the wooded terrain at approximately 0340 cst about 7.8 nm from the airport while inbound on the localizer course of an ILS Rwy 1 approach. The FAF was located at 5.0 nm from the runway. On the day prior to the accident, the pilot had flown a Part 135 flight that had departed at 1732 and landed at 2227. The pilot reported to ground personnel that the airplane's heater had not worked during the flight and that he was cold. The heater was serviced and successfully ground checked for operation. The Part 91 positioning flight departed at 2339. The pilot reported to ATC that the airplane was established on the localizer course at 3,200 feet msl, and that the airplane was picking up '... some pretty good moderate ice... .' The wreckage path covered about 400 feet on a heading of about 002 degrees. The fuselage, cockpit, and inboard wings were consumed by fire. The landing gear was extended. The examination of the airplane revealed no pre-existing anomalies.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 9,500 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,924 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 8, 1999; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HSV Huntsville AL at 5:39 am
- Destination: IMT Iron Mountain MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 1, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 am from IMT, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.