Beech A 36 accident near Findlay, Ohio, December 20, 1997
On December 20, 1997 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Beech A 36, registered N5050G, was destroyed in an accident near Findlay, Ohio (Findlay airport). It was a personal 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-in-command's failure to obtain/maintain clearance with objects during the initial climb. Contributing factors were trees, fog, and the flying pilot's failure to maintain runway heading during the initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 1997 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Findlay, Ohio · Findlay · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A 36 · all A 36s on the register
- Registration
- N5050G · registry record · serial E-846
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was to fly the Chief Executive Officer home for the weekend. Several witnesses heard the airplane takeoff, and also heard the impact. A witness driving on the southbound lane of State Route 15 said she observed a white light and a green light pass in front of her car, and then an explosion followed. After departing on runway 18, the airplane impacted the tops of 75 foot high trees in a wooded area, along the east side of the airport approximately mid-way between the runway and accident site. The aircraft then impacted the edge of a road, continued across a service road and ditch, and was destroyed by fire. Paint chips and broken limbs along the wreckage path indicated a general magnetic heading of 114 degrees and 7 feet of the outboard section of left wing was found about 150 feet from the initial ground impact point. The manipulator of the controls at the time of the accident could not be determined, as the pilot in command, a certificated airline transport pilot, occupied the right front seat, and the non-instrument rated private pilot occupied the left front seat. The reported weather at the time of the accident was ceiling 100 feet, visibility 1/4 mile in fog. Dawn lighting conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 6,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,253 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 24, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FDY at 12:00 pm
- Destination: HPN White Plains NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from FDY
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.