- Date
- September 11, 1992, 17:35 local (21:35 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsville, VA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4526DBeech G35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920911036419A
- Case key
- 11735
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of engine power for an undetermined reason and failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed, which resulted in a stall/spin.
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 pilot was 1 hour 24 minutes into the flight at a cruise altitude of 8000 feet when he reported to air traffic control (ATC) that he had lost engine power. He was approximately 12 miles from the closest airport at a field elevation of 2693 feet, and was provided vectors to that airport. He radioed ATC 3 minutes later advising them that he was descending at a rate of 600-700 feet per minute and was unsure whether he could make it to the airport. One minute later he contacted ATC and advised that he was going to try to land on the highway. There was no further radio communication. A witness reported seeing the aircraft without engine power descending to the south in a steep angle. She reported that the aircraft made a sudden left turn and fell to the ground. The wreckage was located 3.5 miles north of the airport where it came to rest on a dirt road. Examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4526D
- Reported as
- Beech G35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-4698
- Airframe hours
- 4,288
- Engine
- Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Patrick Johnson
- Registered owner
- Patrick Johnson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 27, 1992 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- RIC · Richmond, VA
- Destination
- HLX · Hillsville, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,010 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ROA, 1 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.