Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hastings Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hastings, Nebraska 68901
Tuesady, December 23, 1997 23:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight had originally departed from Nampa, Idaho, at 0830 mountain standard time (mst) with Mountain Home, Idaho, as a stopover airport, and Hastings, Nebraska, as the intended final destination airport. The pilot departed Cheyenne, Wyoming, about 1940 mst. At 2224 central standard time (cst), the pilot was briefed that the weather at Hastings indicated winds at 080 degrees at 4 knots, one quarter mile visibility, freezing fog, a few clouds at 100 feet, 4,200 foot overcast, temperature minus 2 degrees C, dew point minus 2 degrees C, and altimeter 29.87. At 2227, the pilot reported, 'Whiskey golf, we're gonna shoot an approach into Hastings, ah, if it's no good we'll, ah, do a missed and go somewhere else.' At 2250, the pilot reported, 'ah, Missed approach. I (want to) try it again.' The pilot received clearance to fly a second approach. At 2300 cst, the aircraft impacted an irrigation tower and wheel assembly that was located about 1/2 mile west of the airport. Both propellers indicated blade twist and chordwise scratching. The right seat passenger reported that the pilot had not indicated there was anything wrong with the airplane during the flight, she remembered that the pilot flew the second approach down to 2,300 feet or 2,350 feet on the altimeter and started to pull up on the airplane's yoke. The field elevation was 1,961 feet. The MDA was 2,360 feet. The altimeter was set at 29.84. During the flight, there had been no indications of altimeter error when the pilot was in contact with ATC.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper IFR procedure, by which he failed to maintain minimum descent altitude. Fog, a low ceiling, and night condition were a contributing factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/23/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2300 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | HASTINGS |
| Event State | NEBRASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 68901 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | HASTINGS MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HSI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1961 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2253 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HSI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1961 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1714 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 23 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1429 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9WG |
| NTSB Number | CHI98LA072 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-30/A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-30/A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 30-1099 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Unknown |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 19 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 31 |
| Airframe Hours | 5156 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | T. C. BUNDY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 666 SHOSHONE EAST |
| Aircraft Owner City | TWIN FALLS |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83301 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CYS |
| Departure City | CHEYENNE |
| Departure State | WY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2144 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | HSI |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |