Beech H35 accident near Warrenton, VA
On December 10, 2007, a Beech H35 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Warrenton, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 10, 2007
- Place
- Warrenton, VA
- Aircraft
- Beech H35 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 38.625°N, 77.753°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080109X00034
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 9, 2007, at 2050 eastern standard time, a Beech H35, N5481D, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during an instrument approach to Warrenton-Fauquier Airport (W66), Warrenton, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the flight which originated at Allendale County Airport (88J), Allendale, South Carolina, at 1824. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to family members, the pilot owned homes in Florida and Virginia. On the day of the accident, he was returning from his home in Florida, to attend a meeting for his work the following morning. According to air traffic control (ATC) information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane was being vectored for the global positioning system (GPS) runway 15 approach at W66. When the airplane was 7 miles from the Cassanova very high frequency omni-directional radio (VOR), the controller instructed the pilot to "cross Cassanova at 3,000 feet; cleared for the RNAV/GPS 15 approach." Radar data indicated the airplane crossed the VOR at 3,100 feet, and gradually descended to the initial approach fix, EYAGI, where it turned inbound for the approach at an altitude of 2,700 feet. After crossing EYAGI, the airplane continued a gradual descent to 2,200 feet. Prior to the airplane reaching the final approach fix (LIPIY), the controller stated, "advise canceling I-F-R; frequency change
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach procedure and his failure to maintain the minimum descent altitude which resulted in collision with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident were the night, instrument meteorological conditions.
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.
