Boone Inc Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Blowing Rock, North Carolina 28607
Monday, April 8, 2002 11:15 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

Witnesses reported hearing the airplane maneuvering in a valley between two mountain ridges before seeing a fireball. The wreckage was located in a wooded area at the 3,600-foot level of a mountain ridge. Wreckage debris was scattered approximately 150 feet along a 360-degree magnetic heading from a group of trees freshly broken at similar heights. A weather observation facility 3.4 nautical miles northwest of the accident site at an elevation of 3,200 feet issued ten weather reports between 0802 and 1102 at approximately 20-minute intervals. The highest reported visibility during that time frame was 3 statute miles, and the highest reported ceiling was 500 feet. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of pre-impact malfunction of the airframe or the engine.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's continued VFR flight in to known IMC, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees in mountainous terrain. A factor was low ceiling.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/8/2002
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1115
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Blowing Rock
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 28607
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 360905N
Event Location Longitude 0813655W
Event Location Airport Boone Inc
Event Location Nearest Airport ID NC14
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 3
Degrees magnetic from airport 163
Airport Elevation 3120
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1102 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 336
Weather Observation Facility ID TNB
Elevation of weather observation facility 3200
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2.5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.34
Density Altitude (feet) 2603
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report METAR KTNB 081502Z AUTO 25004KT 2 1/2SM BR OVC003
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 15056
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Apr 8 2001 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1430
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Mar 30 2004 8:14AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Charlotte FSDO - 33

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3292C
NTSB Number ATL02FA077
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Beech
Aircraft Model E35
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number D-3959
Certified Max Gross Weight 2725
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name James Frederick Acquaviva
Aircraft Owner Street Address 271 Paul Critcher Drive
Aircraft Owner City Boone
Aircraft Owner State NC
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 28607
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code HKY
Departure City Hickory
Departure State NC
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1057
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code NC14
Destination City Boone
Destination State NC
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Jan 12 2004 7:56AM
User who most recently changed record POWP
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 13
Runway Length 2100
Runway Width 40
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --