Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hagerstown Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Clear Spring, Maryland 21722
Friday, July 26, 2002 11:32 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
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.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/26/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1132 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Clear Spring |
| Event State | MARYLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 21722 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 393906N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0775819W |
| Event Location Airport | Hagerstown Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HGR |
| 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 | 703 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Abbreviated |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1153 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 81 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HGR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 703 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.15 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1076 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14933 |
| NTSB Notification Source | LOCAL RADIO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 26 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 8:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Baltimore, Maryland |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5761K |
| NTSB Number | IAD02FA075 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | S-35 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | D-7548 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3300 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 16 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6074.2 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | William P. Heatherington |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Gulf Breeze |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32561 |
| 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 | HGR |
| Departure City | HAGERSTOWN |
| Departure State | MD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1121 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CHA |
| Destination City | CHATTANOOGA |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 5 2004 3:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COXP |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |