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CEN21LA189

2021-01-12 · Poplar Grove, Illinois, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport C77

Current FAA registration · N436T

Make / Model
BEECH P35
Year of manufacture
1963 · 58 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR I0-470 SERIES (260 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19630822
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A53B11

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's distraction and his failure to maintain a proper glidepath on the approach, which resulted in him landing short of the runway and impacting a snowbank.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during the approach, he landed short of the runway and impacted a snowbank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that during the approach, an airplane that had landed in front of him appeared to stop on the runway to turn back for the midfield taxiway. The pilot reported he was “focused on the airplane in front of him, instead of flying his airplane.” Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring other aircraft-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Not attained/maintained
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Snowy/icy terrain-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_CEN21LA189.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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