# Accident 20020427015029A: Beech D35, Warsaw, NC, April 27, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 27, 2002, 14:06 local time
- Place: Warsaw, NC
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0472° N, 78.1400° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0472&lon=-78.1400&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2152D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2152D-2012-08-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech D35 (registry code 1151510, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-d35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental E225 series (registry code 17015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-e225-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH D35
- Reported engine: CONT E2258
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 1,290 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL02FA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02FA091) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020427015029A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON APRIL 27, 2002, AT ABOUT 1406 EDT, A BEECH D-35, N2152D, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED AN INFLIGHT BREAK UP IN THE VICINITY OF WARSAW, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON APRIL 27, 2002, AT ABOUT 1406 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH BE-35, N2152D, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK UP NEAR WARSAW, NORTH CAROLINA. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, AT 1231. ACCORDING TO DATA EXTRACTED FROM A GARMIN GPS III PILOT HANDHELD UNIT, RECOVERED FROM THE WRECKAGE, THE FLIGHT INITIALLY DEPARTED SELKIRK, NEW YORK AT 0820, LANDED IN GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, AT 1202, AND DEPARTED GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, AT 1231. ACCOR                                                                  DING TO RECOVERED RADAR DATA, AT 1405:44, THE FLIGHT WAS OBSERVED IN A RIGHT TURN AT 9000 FEET. AT 1405:54, THE FLIGHT WAS LAST OBSERVED ON RADAR AT 4,400 FEET. AT 1405 THE GARMIN GPS III PILOT CONFIRMED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS IN A VERY TIGHT RIGHT TURN AT ITS' LAST DATA EXTRACTION. THE PILOT DID NOT ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO TWO WITNESSES NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT WHILE WORKING IN A FLOWERBED THEY HEARD AN AIRPLANE. A SHORT TIME LATER, THEY TWICE HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE THUNDER. WHEN THEY HEARD THE NOISE THE SECOND TIME, THEY ALSO HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN ENGINE SPUTTERING. THEY LOOKED UP TO SEE THE AIRPLANE BUT IT WAS INITIALLY BLOCKED FROM VIEW BY DARK CLOUDS. THEY RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE WHERE THEY HEARD THE ENGINE CUTTING IN AND OUT. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT SHE SAW THE AIRPLANE BLOWN UP AND SAW IT TUMBLING. THE WITNESS OBSERVED BOTH WINGS ATTACHED TO THE AIRPLANE, AS THE AIRPLANE STARTED SPIRALING TOWARDS THE GROUND AND DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW BEHIND TREES.

## 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 ATL02FA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02FA091), Apr 27, 2002: Beech BE-35 (N2152D), Warsaw, NC, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's physical impairment due to the use of marijuana. The pilot's diminished judgment to continue flight into known instrument flight conditions that resulted in an in-flight loss of control,…

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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