Fairchild MERLIN IIIA accident near Butler, Pennsylvania, November 7, 1995
On November 7, 1995 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Fairchild MERLIN IIIA, registered N636SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Butler, Pennsylvania (Butler County airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to perform a missed approach, when the airplane was not properly aligned with the landing runway; and his failure to properly flare the airplane, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 1995 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Butler, Pennsylvania · Butler County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild MERLIN IIIA MERLIN III
- Registration
- N636SP · registry record · serial T-285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and copilot flew four ILS approaches at their destination airport. The first three attempts resulted in missed approaches, of which two were due to non-alignment with the runway. During the last ILS approach, the airplane cleared the clouds at 300 feet above the ground and 150 feet right of the runway. The pilot banked the airplane left, then right, to align the airplane with the runway. The airplane landed hard on the left main wheels, followed by the nose wheel, then the right main wheels. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact failure of the airplane or engines. The fuel flow of both engines were set to allow a maximum rate of descent when the engines were at idle. The pilot had initially reported that he, 'didn't know what happened...the airplane just seemed to suddenly quit flying, and fell out of the sky.'
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,055 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 11,003 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,627 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 13, 1995; 555 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DUJ Du Bois PA at 8:40 pm
- Destination: BTP
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 4,005 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N636SP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.