Beech BE-55 accident near Elkhart, Indiana, January 22, 1999
On January 22, 1999 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Beech BE-55, registered N40HC, was destroyed in an accident near Elkhart, Indiana (Elkhart Municipal Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot failed to maintain a proper glidepath and obstacle clearance. Factors were the fog and dark night.
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 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Elkhart, Indiana · Elkhart Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-55
- Registration
- N40HC · registry record · serial TC-1974
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was cleared for the ILS Rwy 27 approach. Radar data indicated the airplane had intercepted the inbound approach course of 271 degrees. The surviving passenger reported he heard the landing gear extension and saw the three landing gear indicator lights illuminate. He reported that he did not hear the airplane malfunction or hear any abnormal sounds. He reported he saw the glow of parking lot lights in the fog out the left rear window. He reported seeing the pilot looking out the left window and then looking to the front of the airplane. The airplane initially impacted two 40 foot pine trees about 800 feet from the wreckage site. The radar data hit was recorded when the airplane was about 1,300 feet msl and about 2.0 nm from the runway. It indicated the airplane's glide path was about 130 feet below the ILS Rwy 27's glide path. The reported weather was winds 120 at 7 knots, visibility 1/2 mile, light rain, mist, indefinite ceiling, 200 foot overcast, 9 degrees C, 29.77. A weather station 14 miles from the accident was reporting the temperature and dew point as 8 degrees C. Ground fog was reported in the area. The airplane did not exhibit any pre-impact anomalies.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,400 hours in all; 102 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,678 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 1998; 141 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,121 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OTG Worthington MN at 8:40 pm
- Destination: EKM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 6,500 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from EKM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.