NTSB FTW90IA030 — 1989-11-22 · BEAUMONT, Texas, United States

N363MA has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CESSNA 172S, built 1998), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N363MA SAAB-FAIRCHILD 340A None

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADJUSTED VREF AND PROPER DESCENT RATES DURING THE APPROACH. THE PILOT DELAYED DECISION TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND AND THE COPILOT FAILED TO MONITOR THE POORLY FLOWN APPROACH. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RAIN AND WIND SHEAR ENCOUNTERED DURING THE APPROACH AND THE CREW'S POOR EVALUATION OF THAT WEATHER.

Factual narrative

DUE TO SHOWERS ON THE ILS RUNWAY, THE CREW ELECTED TO CIRCLE AND LAND RWY 30. MDA WAS 540 FT, ADJUSTED VREF WAS 130 KTS. AT THE 90 DEGREE POSITION TO THE RWY, IAS WAS 131 KTS. ALTITUDE WAS 528 FT. DURING THE DESCENDING BASE TO FINAL TURN, THE POWER WENT TO FLIGHT IDLE. THE AIRSPEED WENT BELOW ADJUSTED VREF, AND THE RADAR ALTITUDE WENT DOWN TO 176 FEET. THE RADAR ALTITUDE WAS 56 FEET, AND THE AIRPSEED WAS 112 KNOTS WHEN THE TORQUE STARTED TO INCREASE. LOWEST RADAR ALTITUDE WAS 16 FEET, AND LOWEST AIRSPEED WAS 100 KNOTS. AIRPLANE IMPACTED TOPS OF TREES, APRX 2,200 FEET FROM APCH END OF RUNWAY. PIC SAID THAT DURING TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL, F/O LOST SIGHT OF RUNWAY IN A RAINSHOWER AND A GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED. PIC OF AIRPLANE, WAITING AT HOLD LINE FOR WX TO IMPROVE BEFORE TAKEOFF, SAW THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEAR BEHIND TREES, DURING HEAVY RAIN. HIS F/O CALLED IT A WALL OF WATER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_FTW90IA030.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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