Beech BE-60 accident near Asheville, North Carolina, October 27, 2004
On October 27, 2004 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Beech BE-60, registered N611JC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Asheville, North Carolina (Ashville Regional Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow emergency procedures and to maintain airspeed following a loss of engine power during takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and subsequent uncontrolled impact with terrain. Contributing to the cause was inadequate maintenance which resulted in oil contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 2004 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Asheville, North Carolina · Ashville Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-60
- Registration
- N611JC · no longer on the register · serial P-496
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At about the 3,000-foot marker on the 8,000-foot long runway witnesses saw the airplane at about 100 to 150-feet above the ground with the landing gear retracted when they heard a loud "bang". They said the airplane made no attempt to land on the remaining 5,000 feet of runway after the noise. The airplane continued climbing and seemed to gain a little altitude before passing the end of the runway. At that point the airplane began a right descending turn and was in a 60 to 80 degree right bank, nose low attitude when they lost sight of it. The airplane collided with the ground about 8/10 of a mile from the departure end of runway 34 in a residential area. Examination of the critical left engine found no pre-impact mechanical malfunction. Examination of the right engine found galling on all of the connecting rods. Dirt and particular contaminants were found embedded on all of the bearings, and spalling was observed on all of the cam followers. The oil suction screen was found clean, The oil filter was found contaminated with ferrous and non-ferrous small particles. The number 3 cylinder connecting rod yoke was broken on one side of the rod cap and separated into two pieces. Heavy secondary damage was noted with no signs of heat distress. Examination of the engine logbooks revealed that both engine's had been overhauled in1986. In 1992, the airplane was registered in the Dominican Republic and the last maintenance entry indicated that the left and right engines underwent an inspection 754.3 hours since major overhaul. There were no other maintenance entries in the logbooks until the airplane was sold and moved to the United States in 2002. All three blades of the right propeller were found in the low pitch position, confirming that the pilot did not feather the right propeller as outlined in the pilots operating hand book, under emergency procedures following a loss of engine power during takeoff.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,144 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 6,775 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-541-E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TIO-541-E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVL Asheville NC at 2:50 pm
- Destination: GSO Greensboro NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 2:22 pm from AVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.