Rockwell 114 accident near Willoughby Hill, Ohio, May 21, 1990
On May 21, 1990 at about 2:22 am local time, a Rockwell 114, registered N4859W, was destroyed in an accident near Willoughby Hill, Ohio (Cuyahoga County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW THE IFR PROCEDURE AND TO IDENTIFY THE DECISION HEIGHT (AND/OR MAKE A TIMELY MISSED APPROACH). THE ADVERSE WEATHER WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1990 · about 2:22 am local time
- Place
- Willoughby Hill, Ohio · Cuyahoga County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 114
- Registration
- N4859W · no longer on the register · serial 14189
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARRIVAL, THE PLT MADE 2 VOR APCHS TO LOST NATION ARPT, THEN ELECTED TO DIVERT FOR AN ILS RWY 23 APCH AT THE NEARBY CUYAHOGA COUNTY ARPT. WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS, HE WAS ADZD THE LATEST ARPT WX WAS (IN PART): 100 FT OBSCURED, VIS 1/8 MI WITH FOG. AT 2218 EDT, THE PLT WAS ADZD HE WAS 5 MI FROM KROOK (OUTER MARKER/FINAL APCH FIX) & WAS CLRD FOR THE APCH. APCH MINIMA WERE CEILING 200 FT, VIS 1/2 MI. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT DEVIATED ABOUT 1100 FT RGT OF THE ILS LOCALIZER COURSE LINE AND HIT A POWER LINE POLE ABOUT 2500 FT SHORT OF THE RWY. IMPACT OCCURRED ABOUT 12 AGL AS THE ACFT WAS IN A RGT TURN, HDG 290 DEG. THE ACFT THEN HIT A TREE, CRASHED AT THE SAME ELEV AS THE ARPT, SLID INTO THE BREEZWAY OF A HOUSE/GARAGE & BURNED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FND. AFTER THE ACDNT, THE NEXT OBSERVATION SHOWED THE WX HAD DETERIORATED TO: INDEFINITE, ZERO CEILING, SKY OBSCURED, VIS 1/8 MI WITH FOG, WIND FROM 360 DEG AT 8 KTS.
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: 500 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,260 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-T4B5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Finder'S Diversified, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: AVL Ashville NC at 11:08 pm
- Destination: LNN Willoughby OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 5,101 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 am from CGF, 1 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.