Chisholm-Hibbing Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Hibbing, Minnesota 55746
Monday, July 18, 1983 8:55 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PLT OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING & WAS ADVISED TO CHECK BACK BEFORE DEPARTING TO SEE IF ANYTHING HAD DEVELOPED. REPORTEDLY, HE TOOK OFF AT 0815 CDT, AND AT 0831 CDT, HE RADIOED THE HIBBING FSS FOR WX INFO. THE FSS SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THE HIBBING WX WAS BELOW VFR MINIMUMS & THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS VFR ON TOP, THEN STATED HE DIDN'T THINK HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO DIVERT TO ELT, MN. HE REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE TO HIBBING WHICH WAS PROVIDED. AT 0849, HE REPORTED INBOUND OVER THE HIBBING VOR (7 MI SW OF THE ARPT). AT APRX 0855, THE ACFT CRASHED, SOUTHWEST OF THE INSTRUMENT APCH COURSE TO RWY 31 ON A HEADING OF 020 DEG. INITIAL IMPACT WAS WITH TREES & THE ANGLE OF DESCENT WAS MORE THAN 15 DEG. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ENG SOUND INCREASED JUST BEFORE IMPACT. A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL WAS NOTED AT THE CRASH SITE. DESPITE IMPACT DAMAGE, SOME FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE TANKS. REPORTEDLY, THE PLT HAD PREVIOUSLY DECLARED LOW FUEL STATUS FOR PREFERRED HANDLING. FOG OBSCURRED THE TREE TOPS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/18/1983
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 855
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City HIBBING
Event State MINNESOTA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 55746
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CHISHOLM-HIBBING
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HIB
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 3
Degrees magnetic from airport 145
Airport Elevation 1353
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 855 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 325
Weather Observation Facility ID HIB
Elevation of weather observation facility 1353
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
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) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 110
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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 --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1819
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 22089
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4831V
NTSB Number CHI83FA319
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 BELLANCA
Aircraft Model 17-30
Aircraft Series Identifier 17-30
Aircraft Serial Number 30096
Certified Max Gross Weight 3000
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 Apr 13 1983 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 26
Airframe Hours 1698
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES T. WANGENSTEEN,JR.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O.BOX 586
Aircraft Owner City CHISHOLM
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 55719
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 WI32
Departure City MADELINE ISLAND
Departure State WI
Departure Country
Departure Time 815
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 31
Runway Length 6494
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --