Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Shell Lake Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Shell Lake, Wisconsin 54871
Tuesady, November 14, 1989 13:25 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AN NDB APPROACH WAS ATTEMPTED TO AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT DURING MODERATE SNOW CONDITIONS. VISIBILITY WAS REPORTED RESTRICTED IN SNOW SHOWERS BY AREA RESIDENTS AT THE TIME OF THE APPROACH. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO A LAKE ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT AND WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING WHICH INCLUDED THE POSSIBILITY OF SNOW SHOWERS. THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM A MISSED APPROACH. WITNESS REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD DESCENDED BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE PILOT HAD LIMITED TOTAL INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, A LACK OF RECENT TOTAL EXPEREINCE AND A LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF OPERATION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO PERFORM A MISSED APPROACH, HIS DESCENDING BELOW THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE TO AVOID IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT TIME, HIS LACK OF RECENT TOTAL EXPERIENCE, AND HIS LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF OPERATION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/14/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1325 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | SHELL LAKE |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 54871 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SHELL LAKE MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SSQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 1232 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1300 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RIE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1138 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| 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) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| 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 | Moderate |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2138 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 14 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41726 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1607W |
| NTSB Number | CHI90FA028 |
| 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 | BEECH |
| Aircraft Model | A36 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | A36 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | E-341 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3650 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 31 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 2204 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HENRY HORECKI |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4704 UPPER TERRACE |
| Aircraft Owner City | EDINA |
| Aircraft Owner State | MN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 55430 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FCM |
| Departure City | MINNEAPOLIS |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1239 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SSQ |
| Destination City | SHELL LAKE |
| Destination State | WI |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 3100 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |