Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Warsaw, North Carolina 28398
Saturday, April 27, 2002 14:06 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot departed on a VFR flight from Selkirk, New York, to an undisclosed destination. No flight plan was filed or did the pilot receive a weather briefing. Review of radar data and a refueling slip revealed the pilot landed in Greenville, North Carolina, and refueled. The pilot did not established any radio communication with the AirTraffic Control System along his route of flight. A review of weather data revealed that the pilot encountered instrument flight conditions over eastern North Carolina. The airplane was last observed on radar at 18:05:54, at 4,400 feet. Examination of the airplane at the crash site revealed a failure of the right wing due to overstress separation. Toxicology results from the pilot were positive for marijuana.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's physical impairment due to the use of marijuana. The pilot's diminished judgment to continue flight into known instrument flight conditions that resulted in an in-flight loss of control, failure of the right wing due to overstress separation, and subsequent in flight collision with trees and terrain.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/27/2002
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1406
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Warsaw
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 28398
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 350250N
Event Location Longitude 0780824W
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1401 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 101
Weather Observation Facility ID DPL
Elevation of weather observation facility 137
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 9
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 1700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 17
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
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) 30.26
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 12560
NTSB Notification Source FAA Communications Center
NTSB Notification Date Apr 27 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1830
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jan 16 2003 4:27PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Greensboro FSDO-05

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2152D
NTSB Number ATL02FA091
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Beech
Aircraft Model BE-35
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number D-3502
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 --
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 Steven J. Finch
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1 Marl Circle
Aircraft Owner City Ravena
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 12143
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 PGV
Departure City Greenville
Departure State NC
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1231
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Oct 31 2002 9:06AM
User who most recently changed record POWP
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --