Beechcraft S-35 N5761K

Summary

On 26 July 2002 at about 15:32 local time, a Beechcraft S-35 registered N5761K was involved in an accident near Clear Spring, Maryland, 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

26 July 2002 at 15:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Clear Spring, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR)

Coordinates

39.6517, -77.9719

Aircraft

Beechcraft S-35

Registration

N5761K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hagerstown → Chattanooga

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD02FA075

1 person died.

The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight collision with rising terrain. Factors included dense fog and mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane first departed VFR about 1000. About 15 minutes later, the pilot contacted the tower controller and stated that he was returning to the airport because he "could not maintain VFR." After landing, the pilot called flight service and canceled his VFR flight plan, received an abbreviated weather briefing, and stated that he would attempt the same flight later in the day. At 1121, the airplane departed VFR again. At 1124, the pilot contacted a center controller and requested VFR flight following. The controller suggested that the pilot land, and file an IFR flight plan. Several witnesses in a mountainous area reported that they heard an airplane fly overhead, then heard the sound of a crash. Some witnesses saw the airplane appear briefly out of the clouds, then re-enter the clouds seconds before impacting rising terrain. Witnesses also reported rain and dense fog at the time, with visibility estimates ranging from 50 to 150 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.