Sabreliner Corp. NA-265-80 incident near Cherry Point, North Carolina, December 15, 1983
On December 15, 1983 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Sabreliner Corp. NA-265-80, registered N60, suffered minor damage in an incident near Cherry Point, North Carolina (Cherry Point airport). It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation. Factors contributing to the accident were fog, rain, and lightning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1983 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Cherry Point, North Carolina · Cherry Point · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Sabreliner Corp. NA-265-80
- Registration
- N60 · no longer on the register · serial 380-28
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT LINED UP WITH THE LEFT EDGE FLUSH MOUNTED RWY LIGHTS THINKING THEY WERE CENTERLINE LIGHTS. BEGINNING ABOUT 1000 FT DOWN THE RWY THE EDGE LIGHTS WERE POST MOUNTED AND ONE FT IN HEIGHT. NOREMAL ACCELERATION WAS BEGUN AND THE TAKEOFF WAS ABORTED AT ABOUT 80 KTS AFTER STRIKING 4 OR 5 LIGHTS. RWY MARKINGS WERE CONVENTIONAL. THE WIDTH OF THE RWY WAS REDUCED FROM 400 FT TO 200 FT A YEAR BEFORE & THE FORMER RWY SURFACEREMAINED. THERE WERE NO CENTERLINE LIGHTS.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,700 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,009 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 2, 1983; 93 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 22,500 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF-700 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NKT at 5:05 pm
- Destination: TYS Knoxville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32R, 7,890 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from NKT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.