Beech 23 accident near King George, VA
On May 19, 2002, a Beech 23 (airplane) was involved in an accident near King George, VA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 19, 2002
- Place
- King George, VA
- Aircraft
- Beech 23 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 38.252°N, 77.092°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020524X00729
Official records · NYC02FA098
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 19, 2002, about 1020 eastern daylight time, a Beech 23, N2351Z, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near King George, Virginia. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Shannon Airport (EZF), Fredericksburg, Virginia, about 1000. According to a witness who was a friend of the pilot, the pilot occasionally performed a "fly around" over the witness's residence. About 1020, the witness was in his garage and heard an airplane fly overhead. The witness waved his arms and the pilot then "waggled" the wings. The airplane circled the residence twice, and during the second circuit, it quickly banked left. The airplane rolled out on a southerly heading, and approached the house again. It then began to lose altitude, and the witness heard the engine rev to what he assumed was full throttle. However, the airplane continued to lose altitude and the pilot raised the nose approximately 10 degrees. The airplane cleared the witness's house by 25-30 feet, struck a tree at 50-60 mph, and came to rest in the front yard. A neighbor had recorded a portion of the accident flight with his video camera. Review of the recording revealed that the airplane had traveled behind trees, and the attitude prior to impact could not be determined. However, prior to the sound of impact, the engine revved to a high power setting. The accident occurred during hours of dayli
Probable cause
The pilot's improper in-flight decision to perform low passes; and his failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall and collision with trees.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
- Beech B99, Sep 23, 1985
- Beech 65, Sep 10, 1995
- Beech 200, Oct 24, 2004
- Piper PA-31-310, Nov 14, 1982
Browse: 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.
