Beech BE-35 accident near Warsaw, NC
On April 27, 2002, a Beech BE-35 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Warsaw, NC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 27, 2002
- Place
- Warsaw, NC
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-35 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.047°N, 78.140°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020503X00618
Official records · ATL02FA091
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 27, 2002, at about 1406 eastern daylight time, a Beech BE-35, N2152D, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, experienced an in-flight break up near Warsaw, North Carolina. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. No flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane departed Greenville, North Carolina, at 1231. According to data extracted from a Garmin GPS III Pilot handheld unit, recovered from the wreckage, the flight initially departed Selkirk, New York at 0820, landed in Greenville, North Carolina, at 1202, and departed Greenville, North Carolina, at 1231. According to recovered radar data, at 1405:44, the flight was observed in a right turn at 9000 feet. At 1405:54, the flight was last observed on radar at 4,400 feet. At 1405 the Garmin GPS III Pilot confirmed that the flight was in a very tight right turn at its' last data extraction. The pilot did not establish radio contact with the air traffic control system. According to two witnesses near the accident site stated that while working in a flowerbed they heard an airplane. A short time later, they twice heard a noise that sounded like thunder. When they heard the noise the second time, they also heard what sounded like an engine sputtering. They looked up to see the airplane but it was initially blocked from view by dark clouds. They ran to the other side of the house where they heard the engine cutting in and out. One witness stated that she saw
Probable cause
The pilot's physical impairment due to the use of marijuana. The pilot's diminished judgment to continue flight into known instrument flight conditions that resulted in an in-flight loss of control, failure of the right wing due to overstress separation, and subsequent in flight collision with trees and terrain.
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Browse: North Carolina · 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.
