Beech B35 accident near Bremerton, Washington, November 23, 1989
On November 23, 1989 at about 4:22 am local time, a Beech B35, registered N8918A, was destroyed in an accident near Bremerton, Washington (Bremerton airport). It was a personal 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 PROCEDURE, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT ON THE ILS APPROACH, AND HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A MISSED APPROACHED AFTER REACHING THE LATERAL LIMITS OF THE ILS SYSTEM OR DECISION HEIGHT. DARKNESS AND DETERIORATING WEATHER WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 1989 · about 4:22 am local time
- Place
- Bremerton, Washington · Bremerton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech B35 · all B35s on the register
- Registration
- N8918A · no longer on the register · serial D-2618
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 19 APCH. AFTER BEING CLEARED FOR THE APCH, HE WAS AUTHORIZED TO CHANGE TO THE ADVISORY FREQ & WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT SEATTLE APCH CTL TO CANCEL THE FLT PLAN, WHEN ON THE GND. THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH THE ACFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT HIT TREES & CRASHED ABOUT 1 MI SOUTHEAST OF THE ARPT. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AS THE ACFT WAS APCHG THE ARPT FROM THE NORTH, ITS TRACK DEVIATED TO THE LEFT OF COURSE. THE PLT DID NOT REALIGN THE ACFT WITH THE ILS COURSE LINE & THE ACFT PASSED WELL TO THE LEFT OF THE RWY THRESHOLD. IMPACT WITH TREES WAS ALONG A COURSE OF 174 DEG. ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS 482 FT. DECISION HEIGHT FOR THE PRECISION ILS APCH WAS 688 FT; MIN DESCENT ALT (MDA) FOR A CIRCLING APCH WAS 1220 FT. AT 1954 PST, THE WX AT BREMERTON WAS IN PART: 300 FT OVC, 3 MI VIS. AT 2034 PST (12 MIN AFTER THE ACDNT), THE WX HAD DETERIORATED TO PARTIAL OBSCN, 100 FT OVC, 2 MI VIS.
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: 337 hours in all; 185 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BYI Burley ID
- Destination: PWT Bremerton WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 6,200 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:34 am from PWT
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.
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.