# Accident 19980610013219A: Beech F33A, Delaplane, VA, June 10, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 10, 1998, 19:40 local time
- Place: Delaplane, VA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Scud Running
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.9192° N, 77.9204° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9192&lon=-77.9204&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6033U, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6033U-1999-03-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech F33A (registry code 1151425, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-f33a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH F33A
- Reported engine: CONT IO520BB
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 2,800 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98FA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98FA068) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980610013219A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)THE PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER (PRP) WERE EN ROUTE TO FREDERICK (FDK), MARYLAND, WHEN THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN 40 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION. SEVERAL WITNESSES NEAR THE CRASH SITE HEARD AN AIRPLANE OVERFLY THEIR HOMES AT A LOW ALTITUDE.  THEY REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AS IT FLEW OVERHEAD, THEN THEY HEARD THE ENGINE STOP FOLLOWED BY A 'THUD.'  ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES, IT WAS CLOUDY, AND THE FOG HAD COVERED THE TOPS OF THE 50 FOOT TALL TREES.  THE FLIGHT FOLLOWED THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS COUNTRY FLYING EVENT.  ACCORDING TO THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE U.S. AIR RACE, INC., THE EVENT ORGANIZERS TERMINATED THE DAYLIGHT AND VFR-ONLY EVENT EARLY BECAUSE WEATHER CONDITIONS DID NOT APPEAR TO PERMIT A VFR FLIGHT TO FDK.  SEVERAL VFR AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF FDK AND DROVE THE REMAINING DISTANCE.  ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RECORDS THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN.  AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SAID, '...AIRCRAFT WERE CANCELING THEIR [INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES] IFR EITHER AFTER LANDING OR SHORT FINAL WHICH CAUSED OTHER INBOUNDS TO HOLD OR GET DELAYING VECTORS.'.  AIRMET SIERRA UPDATE NUMBER 5 ISSUED AT 1545, A ND WAS IFR AND INSTRUMENT APPROACHES WERE IN USE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.    (-23) CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN AFTER DEPARTURE UNDER VMC AND PROCEEDING INTO IMC WITHOUT OBTAINING AN IFR CLEARANCE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD98FA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98FA068), Jun 10, 1998: Beech F33A (N6033U), Delaplane, VA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate in-flight decision which led to VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance resulting in…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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