Swearingen SA-226T accident near Chino, California, September 18, 1995
On September 18, 1995 at about 1:24 pm local time, a Swearingen SA-226T, registered N693PG, was destroyed in an accident near Chino, California (Chino airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper IFR procedure by not initiating a missed approach at the outer marker, by attempting to intercept the glideslope from above after passing the outer marker, and by allowing the airplane to continue descending after reaching the decision height. Factors relating to the accident were: the adverse weather condition, and the approach controller's improper technique in vectoring the airplane onto the ILS localizer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 1995 · about 1:24 pm local time
- Place
- Chino, California · Chino · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-226T · all SA-226Ts on the register
- Registration
- N693PG · no longer on the register · serial T207
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During arrival at dawn, the pilot contacted Approach Control about 22 miles from the airport at 8,500 feet and requested an ILS runway 26 approach. The ATIS was reporting 1/8 mile visibility with fog; the minimum published visibility for the ILS landing was 3/4 mile. The controller vectored the aircraft so that it intercepted the ILS localizer at the outer marker at an intercept angle that was 5 degrees greater than the maximum allowable intercept of 30 degrees. The intercept point should have been at least 3 miles further away from the airport. The aircraft was 650 feet above the ILS glideslope at the outer marker (which was outside the ILS glideslope parameter). Instead of making a missed approach, the pilot elected to continue the ILS. As he attempted to intercept the glideslope from above, the airplane entered a high rate of descent and passed through the glideslope. The pilot was arresting the descent, when the airplane collided with level terrain about 1,000 feet short of the runway. After the accident, at 0646 edt, the visibility was 1/16 mile with fog.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,282 hours in all; 346 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 2,852 as pilot in command; 65 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,218 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 15, 1995; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE 331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: APV Apple Valley CA at 1:00 pm
- Destination: CNO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 4,856 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 0.1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:46 pm from CNO, 1 miles away
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.