Beech J35 accident near Birmingham, Alabama, July 20, 1982
On July 20, 1982 at about 7:00 am local time, a Beech J35, registered N2TP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Birmingham, Alabama (Birmingham Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- July 20, 1982 · about 7:00 am local time
- Place
- Birmingham, Alabama · Birmingham Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech J35 · all J35s on the register
- Registration
- N2TP · registry record · serial D5636
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE AND NOTED THAT THE BATTERY WAS WEAK. HE REPORTED THAT HE DECIDED TO PULL THE PROPELLER THROUGH AND TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH TOWARD THE OFF POSITION. AS THE PROPELLER WAS ROTATED BY HAND, THE ENGINE STARTED. THE AIRCRAFT JUMPED THE CHOCKS AND COLLIDED WITH A CESSNA 172 THAT WAS PARKED NEARBY. A FUNCTIONAL CHECK OF THE MAGNETO SWITCH REVEALED THAT IT OPERATED NORMALLY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,888 hours in all; 789 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 1,735 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,967 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BHM Birmingham AL
- Destination: Elgin Afb
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 1 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 104°F (40°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.