Beech K35 accident near Jellico, Tennessee, October 9, 2002
On October 9, 2002 at about 2:57 pm local time, a Beech K35, registered N5350E, was destroyed in an accident near Jellico, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's incapacitation in flight due to a heart attack resulting in an in-flight loss of control, and collision with terrain. A factor was the pilot acting as a pilot-in-command with a known medical grounding condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2002 · about 2:57 pm local time
- Place
- Jellico, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech K35 · all K35s on the register
- Registration
- N5350E · no longer on the register · serial D-5833
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting an instrument flight when he became incapacitated, resulting in an in-flight loss of control and collision with the ground. Examination of the airplane revealed there was no evidence of a mechanical malfunction. Review of the pilot's medical history revealed the pilot had coronary artery bypass surgery on January 17, 2001. The pilot did not inform the FAA of the change in his medical condition. The pilot applied for another medical certificate on August 6, 2002. The certificate was not issued by the medical examiner and was referred to the FAA for further evaluation.
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: 6,700 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,998 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 11, 2002; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B-12-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HTL Houghton Lake MI at 12:02 pm
- Destination: DKX Knoxville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from OQT, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.