Beech 95-C55 accident near Pellston, Michigan, January 22, 1999
On January 22, 1999 at about 3:16 am local time, a Beech 95-C55, registered N4920M, was destroyed in an accident near Pellston, Michigan (Pellston Regional Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain proper altitude/clearance on the approach and his flight into known icing conditions. Factors relating to this accident were the pilot flying with known equipment deficiencies, the pilot's physical impairment (alcohol), the icing conditions, and the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 1999 · about 3:16 am local time
- Place
- Pellston, Michigan · Pellston Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-C55 · all 95-C55s on the register
- Registration
- N4920M · no longer on the register · serial TE-219
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was on an IFR flight plan from Detroit City, Michigan, to Pellston, Michigan. While en route, Minneapolis Center reported to the pilot that Pellston's weather was a ceiling of 600 feet agl, visibility 5 miles, light freezing drizzle and freezing fog. A pilot report from a Northwest Airlink Saab 340 preceding the airplane, reported picking up moderate ice beginning at 3,000 feet msl. The pilot was cleared for the ILS approach to runway 32 at Pellston. The airplane's last recorded position was 15 nautical miles southeast of the Pellston Regional Airport, at 3,600 feet msl. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The results of FAA toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot revealed.043 percent Ethanol in the blood. Title 14 CFR Part 91, paragraph 91.17 (a) (4) states that no person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft while having 0.04 percent by weight or more, alcohol in the blood. An examination of the airplane's maintenance records indicated that the airplane's left propeller deice slinger was removed from the propeller spinner bulkhead in June of 1998.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,369 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 22, 1998; 106 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DET Detroit City MI at 2:06 am
- Destination: PLN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 6,512 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 090° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 am from PLN, 3 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.