- Date
- April 27, 1985, 07:25 local (12:25 UTC)
- Place
- Tampa, FL
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1967DBeech C35
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850427015789A
- Case key
- 31242
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
Witnesses observed the acft takeoff on rwy 36 in foggy conditions. They reported that during the initial climb after lift-off, the acft pitched up & rolled into a steep left bank, then entered a descent & crashed on an aprx heading of 060 deg. Impact occurred about 1/2 mi nnw from the center of the arpt (near the departure end of rwy 36). No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found during the investigation. About 8 mi west at Tampa, FL, the 0750 wx was in part: 25,000 ft scattered, visibility 1-1/2 mi with fog. Witnesses at the accident site estimated the visibility was 1/2 mi with fog. The non-instrument rated plt had logged only 4.3 hrs of hooded flt time & no actual instrument time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1967D
- Reported as
- Beech C35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-3251
- Airframe hours
- 1,077
- Engine
- Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Etheus D. Mcgowan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 20, 1985 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- X16
- Destination
- FMY · Ft. Myers, FL
- Airport
- X16 · Vandenberg, runway 36, 3,260 × 65 ft, macadam
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 829 total · 150 in this make and model · 768 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TPA, 8 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.