Beechcraft V35B N702JS

Summary

On 2 May 2014 at about 17:40 local time, a Beechcraft V35B registered N702JS was involved in an accident near Middlesboro, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 May 2014 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Middlesboro, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Middlesboro-Bell County (1A6)

Coordinates

36.6069, -83.7389

Aircraft

Beechcraft V35B

Registration

N702JS

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Middlesboro → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA218

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the landing approach due to his diverted attention to the partially opened main cabin door and the unsecured dog. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to securely latch the main cabin door before takeoff and to secure his dog.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot departed in the airplane, which he had purchased that morning, with his dog onboard. According to the airplane's previous owner, who witnessed the accident, shortly after takeoff, the pilot announced over the common traffic advisory frequency that the "door popped open" and that he was returning to the airport. The witness further stated that, on final approach, about 30 feet above ground level, the airplane banked left, rolled wings level, flew perpendicular away from the runway, and impacted the ground in a flat attitude. The airplane subsequently became engulfed in flames. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation. Thermal damage around the main cabin door precluded determination of the main cabin door locking mechanism's position at the time of impact. It is likely that the pilot did not securely latch the main cabin door before takeoff and that the door partially opened in flight, which resulted in his decision to return to the departure airport. It is also likely that the pilot's dog was not in an animal carrier, which further distracted the pilot. As the pilot slowed the airplane for landing, his attention was likely more focused on the partially opened door and the dog than the landing, which resulted in his failure to maintain airplane control during the landing approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.