Amateur-built GLASAIR III accident near Smithfield, North Carolina, July 30, 2000
On July 30, 2000 at about 6:55 pm local time, a amateur-built GLASAIR III, registered N422CS, was destroyed in an accident near Smithfield, North Carolina (Johnson County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain flying speed during an emergency landing which lead to an inadvertent stall/spin. A factor was the pilot's failure to secure the cockpit canopy prior to takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2000 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Smithfield, North Carolina · Johnson County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GLASAIR III GLASAIR II
- Registration
- N422CS · registry record · serial 3231
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness flying in the vicinity of the airport stated that the airplane took off from runway 03 and climbed to about 500 feet above ground level. He said the airplane turned sharply to the left and then to the right and headed back towards the runway, then rolled inverted and collided with the runway surface in a 20 to 30 degree nose down attitude. The airport manager stated that he noticed that the cockpit canopy was unlatched during the takeoff roll. He then contacted the pilot by radio. The pilot responded, but his transmission was unreadable. The aircraft made a left turn back to the runway. While making the final turn to align with runway 21 the airplane rolled to the right in a steep decent and impacted the runway.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,192 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 353 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1H5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: MCZ Williamston NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft; scat
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from RDU, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.