Beech A36 accident near Angola, Indiana, November 9, 1989
On November 9, 1989, a Beech A36, registered N951V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Angola, Indiana (Tri-State Steuben County airport). It was a business 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW IFR PROCEDURES AND MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 1989
- Place
- Angola, Indiana · Tri-State Steuben County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N951V · registry record · serial E-755
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL AT NGT, THE PLT WAS CLRD FOR AN NDB RWY 5 APCH. THE NDB WAS LOCATED AT THE ARPT, JUST SW OF THE RWY. THE PLT STATED THAT HE 'COMPLETED (THE) NDB APPROACH, WHICH FAILED AT MINIMUMS. ENTERED CLEAR AIR ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER ADF REVERSAL . . .' HE SAID HE THEN MADE A 180 DEG REVERSAL (LEFT TURN) AND MANEUVERED TO GET REESTABLISHED ON THE NDB COURSE ABT 3.9 MI FM THE ARPT, BUT HE COULD NOT RECALL ANYTHING BEYOND THAT POINT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT HAD DSCNDD & CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD IN THAT AREA. MDA FOR THE APCH WAS 1540 FT. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 995 FT. THE ARPT MANAGER ESTIMATED THE CEILING AT THE ARPT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR NDB WAS FOUND.
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: 3,000 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 2,875 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,403 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1989; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dynamation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Wheeling IL at 11:45 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.