Beech 65-A90 accident near Winston-Salem, North Carolina, April 8, 1982
On April 8, 1982 at about 4:05 am local time, a Beech 65-A90, registered N7377, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Smith Reynolds airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 1982 · about 4:05 am local time
- Place
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina · Smith Reynolds · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A90 · all 65-A90s on the register
- Registration
- N7377 · no longer on the register · serial LJ 115
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE LANDING, THE PILOT WAS ADVISED BY APPROACH CONTROL THAT BOEING 737 TRAINING WAS BEING CONDUCTED ON RUNWAY 33. THE PILOT AGREED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 21 AND HOLD SHORT OF RUNWAY 33. THE AIRCREWS CONDUCTING 737 TRAINING WERE SO ADVISED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH SHORTLY AFTER THE TOWER CLOSED AT 2300 EST. THE PILOT DID NOT SEE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS, BUT AT FIRST, HE THOUGHT THEY WERE SET ON LOW INTENSITY AND COULD NOT BE SEEN WITH HANGAR AND RAMP LIGHTS IN THE BACKGROUND. AT 150 TO 200 FT AGL, HE SAW THE RUNWAY WHEN IT WAS ILLUMINATED BY HIS LANDING LIGHTS AND REALIZED THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE NOT ON. QUICKLY, HE DECIDED TO LAND RATHER THAN GO-AROUND AND CONFLICT WITH THE TRAFFIC USING RUNWAY 33. SHORTLY AFTER REACHING FOR THE THROTTLES TO REDUCE POWER TO IDLE AND LAND, THE PLANE STALLED FROM 20 TO 50 FT AGL AND LANDED HARD. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT HAD INADVERTENTLY MOVED THE PROPELLER CONTROLS TO THE REVERSE PITCH POSITION. THE PILOT HAD BEEN ON DUTY SINCE HIS FIRST TAKEOFF AT 0600.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,968 hours in all; 2,365 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 9,999 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,600 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,050 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: N.W. Financial CORP.
The flight
- Departed from: LYH Lynchburg VA at 10:35 pm
- Destination: INT Winston NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,938 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.