Beech 58 accident near Oakdale, Wisconsin, September 16, 1998
On September 16, 1998 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N4574Q, was destroyed in an accident near Oakdale, Wisconsin (Volk Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The installation of the door seal inflation system by company personnel. An additional cause was the emergency procedures not followed by the pilot-in-command. A contributing factor was the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 1998 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Oakdale, Wisconsin · Volk Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N4574Q · no longer on the register · serial TH-374
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At 8,100 feet mean sea level (msl), the pilot reported smoke coming from the aircraft at 0739:32 central daylight time. At 0743:14, the aircraft altitude was 3,000 feet msl. The last received transmission by the pilot was at 0743:01. The Beech 58 Pilot's operating manual, states, under ELECTRICAL SMOKE OR FIRE, that the Battery and Alternator Switches are to be selected in the OFF position. A resistor, similar in size, shape and color to two of the resistors in the door seal inflation system was found attached to the right cabin side wall. The area surrounding the resistor revealed that a black material attached to the interior side wall was absent. There was bubbling of the black material and outside paint. Black material similar to the material on the side wall was also present on the bottom of the resistor. Installation instructions referencing the resistor, state, 'mount to metal structure for heat sink'. An emergency descent from an altitude of 8,000 feet msl was performed in a flight training simulator and a descent rate of approximately 6,200 feet per minute was obtained. A simulated off airport landing, in a simulator, was completed in approximately 02:15 minutes. Airworthiness Directive 98-21-21 has been issued for the deactivating or the removing of all provisions of the inflatable door seal installation.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,800 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,735 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 2, 1998; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,424 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-CB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MSN Madison WI at 11:53 am
- Destination: RZN Siren WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:55 pm from VOK, 13 miles away
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.