- Date
- January 9, 1983, 16:44 local (21:44 UTC)
- Place
- Cherry Point, NC
- Injuries
- 7 fatal, 2 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7142NBeech D55AFNGMcDonnell Douglas F4C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- FAA report
- 19830109002262A
- Case key
- 6222
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
The two acft collided at about 9,500 ft MSL 30 mi south of Cherry Point. After departing nassau, the plt of the BE-D55 never activated his flt plan. An adiz penetration time was therefore never established. When the unidentified acft entered warning area W-122, the USAF contacted FAA ATC for identification info. Since FAA was not controlling any traffic in that area an intercept order was issued. At 1637 FAA got a position report from the BE-D55 & relayed it to military control. However, the two fighter acft continued to close in on the target for radar contact. The lead acft was to close about 1,000 ft below the target at a preplanned closure rate of 50 KTS (actual rate was 127 KTS). Seconds before the collision, the BE-D55 turned left as requested by FAA ATC thus turning it into the path of the overtaking interceptor which also had turned left to break off the intercept. The safety board did not determine the probable cause of this accident, but offered statements of cause.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N7142N
- Reported as
- Beech D55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-497
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Henry H. Tiffany
- Registered owner
- Orr Chevrolet, Inc.
- Departed
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Destination
- ORF · Norfolk, VA
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.
- Registration
- AFNG
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas F4C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 637536
- Airframe hours
- 42,392
- Engine
- GE J79-15A, 17,500 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Armed forces
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 22, 1982 · 349 hours before
- Departed
- KGSB · Goldsboro, NC
- Flight plan
- Military VFR
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N7142N
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,455 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 36
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 500 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- KNKT, 29 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.