Beech BE60 accident near Olney, Illinois, May 9, 1995
On May 9, 1995 at about 12:11 pm local time, a Beech BE60, registered N81TS, was destroyed in an accident near Olney, Illinois (Olney/Noble airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper IFR procedures by descending below the minimum descent altitude and not executing the published missed approach procedures. A factor in thE accident was the low overcast and fog conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 1995 · about 12:11 pm local time
- Place
- Olney, Illinois · Olney/Noble · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE60
- Registration
- N81TS · no longer on the register · serial P374
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR THE LOCALIZER RUNWAY 11 APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN AN OPEN FIELD APRX 1 MILE NE OF THE AIRPORT AND APRX 600 FT LEFT OF THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE AT A LOW ALTITUDE, AND STATED 'IT WAS FOGGY,' AND HE DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT WAS DIRECTLY OVER HIS HEAD. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE FOR ABOUT '3 SECONDS,' AT AN ALTITUDE OF 'BETWEEN 50 AND 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND,' AND IT DID NOT SOUND LIKE IT WAS HAVING 'MECHANICAL DIFFICULTY.' THE AIRPLANE TURNED LEFT (NORTH), AND STRUCK THE GROUND WITH THE LEFT WING. THE PUBLISHED MISSED APPROACH CALLED FOR A CLIMBING 'RIGHT TURN.' THE OLNEY AIRPORT AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVING SYSTEM (AWOS) WAS OPERATING AND CURRENT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, BUT COULD ONLY BE OBTAINED BY TELEPHONE; HENCE ATC COULD NOT PROVIDE THE PILOT WITH THE CURRENT AWOS INFORMATION. THE PILOT WAS PROVIDED THE EVANSVILLE, INDIANA (EVV) WEATHER; 1,200 SCATTERED, MEASURED 4,500 OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 5 MILES, LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. EVANSVILLE WAS LOCATED APRX 20 MILES SE OF OLNEY. THE LOCAL (AWOS) WEATHER WAS; PARTIAL OBSCURATION, 100 FEET OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 3/4 MILE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,805 hours in all; 1,405 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,079 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 13, 1994; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,775 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: C73 Dixon IL at 10:55 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:21 pm from OLY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.