Charleston/Yeager Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Charleston, West Virginia 25311
Friday, June 15, 1990 8:27 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PLT & COPLT WERE ON A 15-DAY TRIP, WHICH INCLUDED STOPS AT ALL STATE CAPITOLS IN THE CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES. THE ACDNT OCCURRED ON THE NEXT TO LAST LEG OF THE TRIP. THE PLT WAS ON A VFR FLT, WHEN HE CONTACTED APCH CTL & REQUESTED LANDING INSTRUCTIONS. HE WAS ADVISED THAT IMC CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE DESTN ARPT. HE THEN OBTAINED VECTORS FOR AN ILS RWY 23 APCH. AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING CLNC TO LAND, THERE WAS NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS FM THE ACFT. A WITNESS THAT LIVED NEAR THE FLT PATH TO RWY 23 HEARD THE ACFT & SAW IT FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS WHEN IT APPEARED IN A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS. SOON THEREAFTER, HE HEARD THE ACFT HIT TREES & CRASH ABOUT 1 MI FM THE APCH END OF THE ARPT AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 1018 FT. WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A 600 FT AREA. THE WITNESS RPRTD THE ACFT WAS VERY LOW BEFORE IT CRASHED, BUT THE ENG SOUNDED NORMAL. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND DURING AN INVESTIGATION. DECISION HEIGHT FOR THE APCH WAS 1181 FT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IFR PROCEDURES, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER GLIDE PATH ON THE ILS APPROACH, AND HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A MISSED APPROACH AT THE DECISION HEIGHT. THE ADVERSE WEATHER WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/15/1990
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 827
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City CHARLESTON
Event State WEST VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 25311
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CHARLESTON/YEAGER
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CRW
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 50
Airport Elevation 1984
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 838 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 230
Weather Observation Facility ID CRW
Elevation of weather observation facility 1984
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 20
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2295
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 15 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 930
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45519
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:02PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3260F
NTSB Number BFO90FA057
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name MOONEY
Aircraft Model M20E
Aircraft Series Identifier M20E
Aircraft Serial Number M20E
Certified Max Gross Weight 2575
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 9 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name THUNDERBIRD FLYING CLUB, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 725 NORTH MARKET ST.
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DE
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19801
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name THUNDERBIRD FLYING CLUB, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 725 NORTH MARKET ST.
Operator City WILMINGTON
Operator State DE
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 19801
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code OSU
Departure City COLUMBUS
Departure State OH
Departure Country
Departure Time 814
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
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 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 6300
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --