Beech 300 accident near Bloomington, Indiana, January 21, 1997
On January 21, 1997 at about 10:32 pm local time, a Beech 300, registered N404EW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomington, Indiana (Monroe County airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 11 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's excessive distance/speed during the landing which led to his failure to attain a proper touchdown point on the runway. The factors involved were: the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision, his failure proceed to the destination airport, pressure to land at the airport, and the weather conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 1997 · about 10:32 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Indiana · Monroe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 11 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 300 · all 300s on the register
- Registration
- N404EW · no longer on the register · serial FA-186
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying his second ILS approach for runway 35 after performing a missed approach on his first ILS approach. The control tower reported 1/8 of a mile visibility in fog. The tower controller reported that the airplane was approximately 200-300 feet above the runway mid-field of the 6500-foot runway. The contract controller observed the airplane landing long and skidded off the end of the runway into the snow, collapsing the landing gear. There was interest by the pilot and his employer to land for a Indiana-Michigan basketball game. Weather minimums for the ILS 35 approach include 1/2 mile visibility.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 6,061 as pilot in command; 531 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,395 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 4, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 14,100 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EKM Elkhart IN at 9:30 pm
- Destination: BMG
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 0.1 statute miles
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:32 pm from BMG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 10 |
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.