Casualties unknown

Aircraft Strikes Light Pole During ILS Approach Following Localizer and Glideslope Anomalies (N4391W)

Manchester, NH, US

On July 15, 1996, a Beech A100 (registration N4391W) operated by Leon Stephens Venters, Jr. was involved in an aviation accident near Manchester, NH. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilots failure to maintain control of the aircraft during a coupled approach. A related factor was the unmonitored inoperative glide slope. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

During a coupled ILS approach to runway 35, the localizer bar fluctuated and the glideslope flag appeared, causing the aircraft to turn. After countering, the aircraft struck a light pole, damaging the nose gear and left wing spar.

Event Description

While conducting a coupled Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to runway 35, the flight crew encountered anomalies in the navigation indicators. At approximately 100 feet above the decision height, the localizer bar deflected fully to the right and the glideslope flag appeared. The aircraft subsequently executed a hard right turn. The pilot countered the turn by rotating the yoke to the left. Immediately thereafter, the localizer bar deflected fully to the left, and the aircraft attempted to follow the displacement while continuing its descent. The pilot again applied opposite yoke input and simultaneously located the autopilot disconnect button on the yoke.

During the attempted climb, the aircraft struck a light pole located approximately 1.5 miles from the departure end of runway 35. The impact caused substantial damage to the nose landing gear wheel assembly and the left wing spar.

Post-Event Examination

Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted an examination of the ILS installation. The inspection revealed that the glideslope equipment was out of service at the time of the approach. However, the localizer, outer marker, and middle marker equipment were found to be operational.

Damage Assessment

The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the nose landing gear wheel assembly and the left wing spar as a result of the collision with the light pole.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001208X06262. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.