Beech BE-99 incident near Asheville, North Carolina, April 18, 1982
On April 18, 1982 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Beech BE-99, registered N95WA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Asheville, North Carolina (Asheville Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 11 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 incident. 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 18, 1982 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Asheville, North Carolina · Asheville Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 11 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE-99
- Registration
- N95WA · registry record · serial U-6
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE AND FLAMEOUT ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. AFTER SECURING THE ENGINE, THE CREW EXECUTED AN UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENGINE LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR INJURIES TO PERSONS. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE COMPRESSOR TURBINE WHEEL HAD FAILED. THE INTERNAL DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE WHEEL, VANE RING, SHROUD AND DUCT GROUP. SUBSEQUENT METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION INDICATED THAT ONE OF THE COMPRESSOR BLADES HAD FAILED IN FATIGUE. THE ORIGIN OF THE FATIGUE FRACTURE WAS IN THE AREA OF THE ROOT TRAILING EDGE. THE REASON FOR THE FATIGUE INITIATION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,830 hours in all; 1,486 in this make and model; 405 in the last 90 days; 6,810 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20,958 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,900 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W PT-6-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wheeler Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: Asheville NC at 3:10 pm
- Destination: Charlotte NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 8,001 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 151°F (66°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N95WA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.