Beech A24R accident near Merrill, Wisconsin, December 28, 1989
On December 28, 1989 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Beech A24R, registered N37329, was destroyed in an accident near Merrill, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER BY THE PILOT, AND STRUCTURAL/WING ICE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ICING CONDITIONS AND TREES IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1989 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Merrill, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Beech A24R · all A24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N37329 · no longer on the register · serial MC-738
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES & TERRAIN AS THE PLT WAS ATTEMPTING TO REACH AN ARPT. HE HAD TOLD ATC PSNL THAT STRUCTURAL ICE WAS ACCUMULATING ON THE ACFT AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT DSCNDD BELOW AN ALT WHERE RADAR CONTACT COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED. AIR & GROUND SEARCH PROCEDURES WERE STARTED AFTER ALL CONTACT WITH THE ACFT WAS LOST. THREE DAYS LATER, THE ACFT WAS FOUND BY GROUND SEARCHERS. THE WEATHER ALONG THE ROUTE CONSISTED OF LOW OVERCAST SKIES, BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES & FOG. LAYERED PIECES OF ICE WERE FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE AREA, WHICH WERE 3/4 TO 1-1/4 INCH THICK; THESE PIECES OF ICE CONTAINED INNER SURFACES THAT MATCHED THE SHAPE OF AIRFOILS. WEATHER IN THE AREA WAS INFLUENCED BY A WARM FRONT WITH LOW OVERCAST SKIES, FREEZING TEMPS & FOG TO THE NORTH OF THE FRONT. BEFORE THE FLT, THE PLT WAS ADVISED OF OCCASIONAL MODERATE RIME ICING ALONG HIS ROUTE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 740 hours in all; 65 in this make and model
- 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: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: 37329 INC.
The flight
- Departed from: IWE Ironwood MI at 7:48 pm
- Destination: C77 Belvidere IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.