Beech A36 accident near Davis, WV
On May 12, 1998, a Beech A36 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Davis, WV. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 12, 1998
- Place
- Davis, WV
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.129°N, 79.460°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X10100
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 12, 1998, at 1057 Eastern Daylight Time, a turbine-powered Beech A36, N72141, was destroyed after an in-flight breakup during cruise flight near Davis, West Virginia. The certificated private pilot-owner and three passengers were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight from Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Buffalo, New York, to Moore County Airport (SOP), Southern Pines, North Carolina. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane had earlier departed Hamilton Airport (CYHM), Hamilton, Ontario, at 0730, and arrived in Buffalo at 0800, with only the pilot onboard. The pilot passed through U.S. Customs, then had the main fuel tanks topped off with 20 gallons of fuel. Afterwards, the pilot and passengers boarded the airplane, which departed Buffalo, at 0938. The airplane climbed to 13,000 feet, and proceeded southbound, toward its destination. At 1054:04, after being advised to look out for traffic, the pilot stated, "I'm in the clouds." At 1055:43, the pilot acknowledged the altimeter setting. At 1058:43, the air traffic controller asked that the pilot recycle the airplane's transponder, but no answer was received. The accident occurred during daylight hours, and the last secondary radar returns occurred at 39 degrees, 07.6 minutes north, 79 degrees 27.5 minutes west, less than 1/2 nautical mile east of where the main wreckage was located. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The last entry in the pilot's logbook, on April
Probable cause
The pilot's spatial disorientation, his subsequent loss of control of the airplane, and his overload of the horizontal stabilizer during a recovery attempt. Factors include the pilot's continued flight into icing conditions, his lack of airspeed control, and the lack of an AIRMET advisory from the weather briefer.
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Browse: West Virginia · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
