Beechcraft 35-C33A N2050W
7 October 1997 · Robbins, North Carolina, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 7 October 1997 at about 17:37 local time, a Beechcraft 35-C33A registered N2050W was involved in an accident near Robbins, North Carolina, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:37
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Robbins, North Carolina, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.4304, -79.5796
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft 35-C33A
- Registration
- N2050W
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Marion → Martinsville
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA98FA007
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
failure of the pilots in both aircraft to see-and-avoid each other's airplane (inadequate visual lookout), and failure of the Beech pilot to operate his airplane at a correct Visual Flight Rules (VFR) cruising altitude for his route of flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of Beech 35, N2050W, phoned the Leesburg Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) to file a round trip IFR flight plan, but the briefing specialist inadvertently inputted the departure time as 1130 UTC instead of 1530 UTC (1130 local). The Beech flight departed VFR, and the pilot attempted to obtain an IFR clearance, but the controller advised him that there was no IFR flight plan in the system. The pilot advised the controller that he would proceed VFR. While en route, the Beech was on a north-northwesterly course, when it began to converge with Piper PA-32, N3940W, that was on a east-northeasterly course at about the same altitude. At about that time, the Beech pilot contacted an ATC facility and stated that his flight was level at 5,500 feet. He was given a discrete transponder code to squawk, and the pilot complied. The controller immediately advised the pilot that traffic was off to his left, but there was no acknowledgement. Both airplanes crashed into a rural area. An investigation revealed the nose landing gear of the Piper collided with the left wing tip of the Beech. Review of the FAR's revealed that while flying VFR between 180 and 359 degrees magnetic course, above 3,000 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot should fly at even thousand feet altitudes plus 500 feet. VFR flight between 0 and 179 degrees, above 3,000 feet agl, should be at odd thousands plus 500 feet.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft 35-C33A 35-C33A | N2050W | - | Destroyed |
| Piper PA-32-260 PA-32-260 | N3940W | - | Destroyed |
Other Beechcraft 35 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 1997 | Beechcraft 35-C33A | Amana, Iowa, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 1997 | Beechcraft 35 | Spokane, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1997 | Beechcraft 35-C33A | Lugoff, South Carolina, United States | Rodney A. Stewart | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 Dec 1997 | Beechcraft 35-B33 | Troy, Michigan, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 1997 | Beechcraft 35-33 | Chesterfield, Missouri, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 May 1997 | Beechcraft 35 | Liberty, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-38-112 | Smithfield, North Carolina, United States | Raleigh Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 1997 | Cessna 150G | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 1997 | Stinson 108-1 | Smithfield, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 1997 | Boeing B75N1 | Huntersville, North Carolina, United States | Larry E. Morris | No injuries | - |
| 7 May 1997 | Piper PA-28-180 | Wilgrove, North Carolina, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 1997 | Gulfstream-Schweizer G-164C | Beaufort, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |