Beechcraft V35TC N27FH

Summary

On 3 March 1989 at about 21:12 local time, a Beechcraft V35TC registered N27FH, operated by Ruffin K. Harris, was involved in an accident near Roanoke, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 March 1989 at 21:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Roanoke, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.2109, -80.0399

Aircraft

Beechcraft V35TC

Registration

N27FH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ruffin K. Harris

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Middleburg → Blacksburg

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO89FA019

1 person died.

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE INSTRUMENT RATED PLT INITIATED VFR FLIGHT TO BLACKSBURG AFTER HE WAS INFORMED BY FSS THAT IMC EXISTED AT THE DEST. THE PLT CONTACTED ROANOKE (ROA) APCH CTRL ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF BLACKSBURG AND 8 MILES SW OF ROA. HE REPORTED THAT HE WAS 'STUCK' IN CLOUDS AT 2,000 FT MSL AT THE SAME TIME WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED AN ACFT JUST ABOVE TREETOP LEVEL IN HEAVY FOG AND BELOW AN ESTIMATED 100 TO 200 FT OVERCAST. THE PLT WAS CLEARED TO AND BEGAN CLIMBING WEST TO 5,000 FT. AS HE WAS CLIMBING HE ASKED FOR THE CURRENT WEATHER AT BLACKSBURG. ROA ADVISED THE PLT THAT THE WEATHER AT BLACKSBURG WAS NOT AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, THE PLT ASKED AND WAS CLEARED TO PROCEED TO BLACKSBURG ON A 240 DEGREE HEADING. THE ACFT WAS AT 4,600 FT WHEN IT ABRUPTLY MADE A RIGHT TURN AND DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. WITNESSES STATED THE ACFT DESCENDED FROM A LOW OVERCAST IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE ENGINE AT HIGH POWER. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PLT IMPAIRMENT OR INCAPACITATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.