- Date
- March 18, 1982, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Knightdale, NC
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N223LWBede BD-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820318006329A
- Case key
- 71281
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Two witnesses observed the aircraft on a low final approach for runway 19. They reported that the aircraft then turned to an easterly heading. One witness reported that the left turn appeared to be coordinated. The other witness heard the pilot add power before the aircraft disappeared from his view behind trees. The plane crashed about 1/2 mile north of the runway and approximately 1000 ft east of the projected runway centerline. The initial impact occurred with trees at an altitude of about 50 ft AGL. An examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N223LW
- Reported as
- Bede BD-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 223
- Airframe hours
- 50
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Don Cole
- Registered owner
- Don Cole
- Departed
- Horsehead, NY
- Destination
- Rockledge, FL
- Airport
- Wendell-Knightdale, runway 19, 3,000 × 35 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 201 total · 9 in this make and model · 117 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Temperature
- 147 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.