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NTSB Report
March 18, 1991 · Piper PA-30 · N8290Y
Thief River Fls, MN
Overview
Report Status
Probable Cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
March 18, 1991
Injury Outcomes
4 injuries (4 fatalities)
Location
Thief River Fls, MN
Aircraft
Piper PA-30
Tail Number
N8290Y
Operator
June I Steiger
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
CHI91FA108
DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT WAS ADZD THAT THE 1745 CST WX WAS 500' BKN, 1000' OVC, VIS 3-1/2 MI WITH FOG. HE MADE AN ILS RWY 31 APCH, BUT AT 1928 CST, HE RPRTD A MISSED APCH. HE STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN 'THE LIGHTS' & REQUESTED ANOTHER APCH. THE ACFT WAS VECTORED FOR A 2ND ILS. WHEN IT WAS ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE OUTER MARKER (FAF), THE PLT WAS CLRD FOR THE APCH & TO CHANGE TO AN ADZY FREQ. HOWEVER, ABOUT 3 MI SE OF THE FAF, THE ACFT FLEW INTO LEVEL TERRAIN, WHILE STILL ON A WESTERLY HDG. MIN DSCNT ALT (MDA) FOR THIS SEGMENT OF THE APCH WAS 2700' MSL; THE ARPT ELEV WAS 1116'). NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENG WAS FOUND. THE 1945 CST WX AT THE ARPT HAD DETERIORATED TO 200' OVC & 1/4 MI VIS WITH FOG.
NTSB Probable Cause
IMPROPER IFR PROCEDURE OF THE PILOT, WHILE INTERCEPTING THE ILS LOCALIZER, BY NOT MAINTIANING THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA) FOR THAT SEGMENT OF THE APPROACH.
Full Narrative
DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT WAS ADZD THAT THE 1745 CST WX WAS 500' BKN, 1000' OVC, VIS 3-1/2 MI WITH FOG. HE MADE AN ILS RWY 31 APCH, BUT AT 1928 CST, HE RPRTD A MISSED APCH. HE STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN 'THE LIGHTS' & REQUESTED ANOTHER APCH. THE ACFT WAS VECTORED FOR A 2ND ILS. WHEN IT WAS ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE OUTER MARKER (FAF), THE PLT WAS CLRD FOR THE APCH & TO CHANGE TO AN ADZY FREQ. HOWEVER, ABOUT 3 MI SE OF THE FAF, THE ACFT FLEW INTO LEVEL TERRAIN, WHILE STILL ON A WESTERLY HDG. MIN DSCNT ALT (MDA) FOR THIS SEGMENT OF THE APCH WAS 2700' MSL; THE ARPT ELEV WAS 1116'). NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENG WAS FOUND. THE 1945 CST WX AT THE ARPT HAD DETERIORATED TO 200' OVC & 1/4 MI VIS WITH FOG.
Flight
Event TypeAccident
Event Time19:49 CST
Nearest AirportThief River Regional (0nm N)
Runway31
Runway Length6503 ft
Runway Width150 ft
Flight Plan FiledIFR
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo
Aircraft
AircraftPiper PA-30
Tail NumberN8290Y
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
OperatorJune I Steiger
Operating RulePart 91
Engines2
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · IO-320 · Reciprocating · 160
Seats4
People & Injuries
Injury Summary4 injuries (4 fatalities)
Fatal4
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total4
Crew 1Age 61 · Third Class
Conditions
ConditionsIMC
LightDark Night
WindCalm
CeilingBroken clouds 200 ft
Temperature / Dew Point34 C / 28 C
Altimeter29.00 inHg
Observation Time19:45