Beech A36 accident near Banner Elk, North Carolina, August 14, 1984
On August 14, 1984 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N2864W, was destroyed in an accident near Banner Elk, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- August 14, 1984 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Banner Elk, North Carolina
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N2864W · registry record · serial E45Q
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE TOOK OFF & CLIMBED TO ABOUT 4800 FT WHERE 'A CLOUD BANK ROLLED IN ON US WITHOUT WARNING.' HE ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB & CLEAR THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING TIP 'CLIPPED A TREE' & SUBSEQUENTLY, HE CRASH LANDED. THE ELEVATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ABOUT 4000 FT.
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
- Flight time: 1,990 hours in all; 1,990 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 1,850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 1983; 113 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-10A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5A7 Banker Elk NC at 12:00 pm
- Destination: JAX Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 330° at 8 knots
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from HKY
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.
Other NTSB records under N2864W 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.