Beech 58 accident near Gaylord, Michigan, February 6, 1999
On February 6, 1999 at about 3:15 am local time, a Beech 58, registered N58AK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gaylord, Michigan (Ostego County Airport). It was a positioning 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
the pilot not obtaining proper runway centerline alignment during landing. Associated factors were the pilot's obscured view through the iced windshield, the runway lights not activating simultaneously with the approach lights, incomplete visual detection of the runway environment and no notice to airmen of the reduced reception of the runway light receiver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1999 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Gaylord, Michigan · Ostego County Airport · 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 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N58AK · registry record · serial TH224
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that the icing conditions obscured the view through the windshield even with the application of anti-icing fluid. In his written report, he said that the approach lights came on and that the runway lights did not. He said that he had no visual reference to the runway during the landing flare. He reported that the airplane landed on the runway, but struck a snowbank on the north side of the runway. The airport lighting system has two receivers on the pilot controlled frequency 118.9. One receiver controls the approach lights and the other controls the runway and taxiway lights. Because the approach lights receiver is located close to the approach, it has better reception than the runway lights receiver does.
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: 8,260 hours in all; 342 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 8,018 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,822 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 29, 1999; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520CB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YIP Ypsilanti MI at 2:00 am
- Destination: GLR MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9, 6,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:04 am from GLR
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.