Beech V35B accident near Ottawa, Ohio, October 8, 1990
On October 8, 1990 at about 2:10 am local time, a Beech V35B, registered N409E, was destroyed in an accident near Ottawa, Ohio (Putnam County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW THE PROPER INSTRUMENT PROCEDURE AND MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) DURING AN APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT AT NIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1990 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Ottawa, Ohio · Putnam County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N409E · no longer on the register · serial D-9836
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN IFR ARRIVAL AT NIGHT, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR THE VOR RUNWAY 27 APPROACH TO THE PUTNAM COUNTY AIRPORT. THE PUBLISHED MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) FOR THE APPROACH WAS 1200 FEET MSL OR 437 FEET AGL. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE WEATHER AS 'FOGGY' WITH DRIZZLE AND 1 MILE VISIBILITY. DURING THE APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES THAT WERE ABOUT 60 FT TALL AND 1 1/2 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT INITIAL IMPACT OCCURRED WITH TREETOPS ON A HEADING OF 315 DEG IN A WINGS ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE WAS FOUND. A MARK ON THE AIRSPEED GAGE INDICATED IT WAS AT THE 140 KT POSITION DURING IMPACT. BOTH PROPELLER BLADES HAD CHORWISE SCRATCH MARKS AND 'S' BENDING AT THE TIPS. THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN AT THE AIRPORT WAS FLAT AND SPARSLEY POPULATED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BASED AT THE AIRPORT, AND THE PILOT HAD FLOWN IN THE LOCAL AREA FOR SEVERAL YEARS. NO RECORDS WERE FOUND TO DETERMINE THE PILOT'S INSTRUMENT FLIGHT OR NIGHT FLIGHT PROFICIENCY.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,900 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Nelson Manufacturing CO.
The flight
- Departed from: ABE Allentown PA at 11:30 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 4,426 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 am from FDY, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.