Wheeler EXPRESS SERIES 2000 accident near Cleveland, NC
On April 22, 2019, a Wheeler EXPRESS SERIES 2000 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cleveland, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 22, 2019
- Place
- Cleveland, NC
- Aircraft
- Wheeler EXPRESS SERIES 2000 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.755°N, 80.635°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190422X00632
Official records · ERA19FA154
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 22, 2019, about 0915 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Wheeler Express Series 2000, N625J, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Cleveland, North Carolina. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the airplane owner, the pilot planned to depart Statesville Regional Airport (SVH), Statesville, North Carolina, and fly the airplane to Twin Lakes Airport (8A7), Mocksville, North Carolina, for an avionics upgrade. The pilot departed SVH at 0901. The owner stated that he watched the airplane depart runway 28, travel west, and then turn back to the east before he lost sight of it. Around 0900, a witness who was located 4.5 miles northeast of SVH reported that he heard an airplane’s engine. When he saw the airplane, he could see that the right wingtip was down. The airplane then rolled quickly inverted while heading eastward. A second witness located 1 mile east of the accident site stated that around 0910, he saw what he thought might be a radio-controlled airplane heading straight down, that he heard loud engine noises that changed pitch. The airplane then fell below the tree line and did not reappear. He later realized that he might have witnessed the accident when he heard that an airplane had crashed. The accident airplane’s owner arrived at 8A7 about 1040, and the airplane had not arrived. He made several phone calls to the pilot without success. He returned to SVH to see if the pilot had returned while other pilots at
Probable cause
A loss of control and impact with terrain while maneuvering.
More accidents in NC
- Douglas DC-9-31, Jul 2, 1994
- Beech 1900D, Jan 8, 2003
- Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-12/47E, Feb 13, 2022
- Cessna 550, Dec 18, 2025
- Beech D55, Jan 9, 1983
Browse: North Carolina
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
