Beech B-60 accident near Sylva, North Carolina, July 24, 1982
On July 24, 1982 at about 10:00 am local time, a Beech B-60, registered N6648X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sylva, North Carolina (Jackson County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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 24, 1982 · about 10:00 am local time
- Place
- Sylva, North Carolina · Jackson County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B-60 · all B-60s on the register
- Registration
- N6648X · no longer on the register · serial P-504
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF AFTER THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP ABOUT 600 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 32. THE PILOTS STATEMENT AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE DO NOT CORRELATE. THE PROP MARKS ON THE RUNWAY AND THE SCRATCHES ON THE FUSELAGE INDICATE BOTH ENGINES WERE WORKING AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS PREMATURE RETRACTION OF THE LANDING GEAR ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO SETTLE AND STRIKE 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: 7,264 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,630 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,775 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TI0-541E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Jack M. Hennessee INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Sylva NC at 6:00 am
- Destination: Morehead City NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 144°F (62°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.