Beech A36 accident near Willoughby, Ohio, January 22, 1993
On January 22, 1993 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N2890A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Willoughby, Ohio (Cuyahoga County Airport). It was a personal 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'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER GLIDE PATH DURING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH, AND HIS IMPROPER REMEDIAL ACTION, RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH TREES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 1993 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Willoughby, Ohio · Cuyahoga 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 A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N2890A · no longer on the register · serial E1418
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A MANUALLY FLOWN ILS APPROACH IN MARGINAL WEATHER CONDITIONS. HE SAID THAT HE BECAME DISTRACTED AT ABOUT 3.5 MILES FROM TOUCHDOWN BY A CALL FROM THE TOWER ASKING HIS LOCATION. HE SAID THAT HE LOOKED OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT AND SAW A HIGHWAY BELOW. WHEN HE AGAIN LOOKED AT HIS INSTRUMENTS, HE OBSERVED THE GLIDE PATH NEEDLE DISPLAYING A 'FULL SCALE BELOW GLIDE PATH INDICATION.' HE THEN TRIED TO ENGAGE THE AUTO PILOT, BUT THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES.
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: 1,854 hours in all; 1,654 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,646 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 1992; 136 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I77 Cincinnati OH at 9:00 pm
- Destination: CGF Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:12 pm from CGF, 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.