Beech 58P accident near Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 18, 1985
On January 18, 1985 at about 6:36 pm local time, a Beech 58P, registered N58PC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Rapids, Michigan (Kent County airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 1985 · about 6:36 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Rapids, Michigan · Kent County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N58PC · registry record · serial TJ-168
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 1215 EST, A GROUND VEHICLE OPERATOR (S-1) RPRTD THAT THE BRAKING ACTION WAS POOR ON THE RWYS & TAXIWAYS (TWYS). IN THE NEXT 9 MIN, 5 SNOW PLOWS WERE CLEARED ONTO TWYS A & E. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE PLT OF N58PC WAS CLEARED TO TAXI FM THE GENERAL AVIATION RAMP TO RWY 26L, BUT HE WAS NOT ISSUED INFO CONCERNING BRAKING ACTION OR OTHER TRAFFIC. WHILE HE WAS TAXIING ON TWY A, A SNOW PLOW ON TWY E CONVERGED FROM THE PLT'S LEFT. THE SNOW PLOW OPERATOR WAS WINDROWING ALREADY PLOWED SNOW. HE STAYED TO THE LEFT AS HE WENT ONTO TWY A & WAS TRAVELING AHEAD OF N58PC. THE PLT OF N58PC ALERTED GROUNDCONTROL PSNL OF THE SNOW PLOW'S PSN & STEERED HIS ACFT TO THE RGT. THE SNOW PLOW OPERATOR THEN STARTED TO MAKE A 180 DEGRGT TURN ON THE TWY, BUT STOPPED WHEN HE SAW THE ACFT. THE PLT TRIED TO AVOID A COLLISION, BUT HIS LEFT WING HIT THE SNOW PLOW. THE SNOW PLOW OPERATOR SAID THERE WAS A BLIND AREA TO THE RGT SIDE OF HIS CAB WHICH MAY HAVE ATTRIBUTED TO HIS LACK OF VISION. THE TOWER CONTROLLER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BOTH ACFT & VEHICULAR TRAFFIC PER LETTER OF AGREEMENT.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,958 hours in all; 946 in this make and model; 91 in the last 90 days; 3,628 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,895 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: CAK Canton OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:33 pm from GRR
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.