- Date
- May 28, 2012, 16:04 local (20:04 UTC)
- Place
- Sumerduck, VA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Defining events
- Maneuvering: Midair collisionEnroute-cruise: Midair collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Lead agency
- Other
- Parties
- FAA/AVP-100
- FAA reports
- 20120528009311A20120528009211A
- Case key
- 83766
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
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
N6658R · Beech V35B
N23SC · Piper PA-28-140
Factual narrative
On May 28, 2012, about 1604 eastern daylight time, a Beech V35B, N6658R, and a Piper PA-28-140, N23SC, collided in flight in the vicinity of Sumerduck, Virginia. The Beech was destroyed, and the pilot and flight instructor were fatally injured; the Piper was substantially damaged, and the pilot was seriously injured. Neither of the local flights was operating on a flight plan, and both were being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The Beech departed Warrenton-Fauquier Airport, Warrenton, Virginia, on a flight review for the private pilot, and the Piper departed Culpeper Regional Airport, Culpeper, Virginia, on a personal flight. The pilot/owner of the Beech was an employee of the NTSB, and the pilot/owner of the Piper was an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and by mutual agreement, the United States delegated the accident investigation to the government of Canada. The NTSB designated an accredited representative to the investigation on behalf of the United States, and the FAA designated an advisor to the accredited representative. The investigation is being conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada under its statutes. Further information may be obtained from: Transportation Safety Board of Canada Place du Centre 200 Promenade du Portage, 4th Floor Gatineau, Quebec K1A 1K8 Tel: 1 (800) 387-3557 Fax: 1 (819) 997-2239 Email: airops@tsb.gc.ca Web: http://www.tsb.gc.ca Occurrence Number: A12H0001 This report is for informational purposes only, and only contains information released by or provided to the government of Canada.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N6658R
- Reported as
- Beech V35B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-10323
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Duncan James M
- Registered owner
- Duncan James M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- HWY · Warrenton, VA
- Destination
- HWY · Warrenton, VA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- N23SC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-21217
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CJR · Culpeper, VA
- Destination
- CJR · Culpeper, 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.
Flight crew · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N6658R
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 6, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,649 total · 1,516 as pilot in command
- Role
- Flight instructor, aircraft N6658R
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 14, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,034 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N23SC
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 3, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,134 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- HWY, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 13, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.