Beech 58-TC accident near Sidney, New York, July 18, 2001
On July 18, 2001 at about 12:35 pm local time, a Beech 58-TC, registered N117HS, was destroyed in an accident near Sidney, New York (Sydney Airport). It was an executive or corporate 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 follow IFR procedures which resulted in a collision with rising terrain. Factors related to the accident were the rising terrain and fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2001 · about 12:35 pm local time
- Place
- Sidney, New York · Sydney Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58-TC · all 58-TCs on the register
- Registration
- N117HS · registry record · serial TK-21
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had conducted two VOR approaches to the airport, each to a missed approach. After the second missed approach, the controller queried the pilot if the missed approach was due to fog. The pilot advised the controller that "…there's pockets in and out but I can't get the runway in sight..." The pilot then requested, and was cleared, for a third approach. The controller requested the pilot to contact the advisory frequency at the airport, which the pilot complied. No further radio transmissions were received from the airplane. The airplane came to rest in a wooded area about 2 miles northwest of the airport, at an elevation of 1,679 feet msl. The wreckage path was orientated on a 245-degree bearing. The missed approach point for the VOR approach was located at the runway threshold. The missed approach procedure required the pilot to initiate a climbing right turn to 3,400 feet, then proceed back to the northeast, to an intersection located about 5.2 miles northeast of the airport, and hold. An FAA inspector flew the runway 25 VOR approach the day of the accident. No abnormalities with the navigation or airport facilities were noted. Review of the Airport Facility Directory revealed an airport remark for N23 that stated, "Numerous hills surround arpt up to 800 ft above arpt elevation." Witnesses described the weather about the time of the accident as "heavy fog" with the mountains surrounding the airport completely obscured.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,312 hours in all; 130 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,179 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 6,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-LB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BUF Buffalo NY at 10:30 am
- Destination: N23 Sidney NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 4,204 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 100 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 12:43 pm from BGM, 24 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC01FA178.