Beech C90 accident near Winston Salem, North Carolina, January 6, 1985
On January 6, 1985 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Beech C90, registered N66KA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winston Salem, North Carolina (Smith Reynolds airport). It was a personal 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
- January 6, 1985 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Winston Salem, North Carolina · Smith Reynolds · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C90 · all C90s on the register
- Registration
- N66KA · registry record · serial LJ-582
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF ROLL, AT ROTATION, ACFT CONTACTED A LARGE DOG WHICH WAS ON THE RWY. PLT HAD GOOD VISIBILITY EXCEPT FOR LIGHT CONDITION. ACDT OCCURRED AT NIGHT. ARPT PERIMETER IS FENCED BUT THERE ARE MANY GATES, SOME OF WHICH REMAIN OPEN AT NIGHT. MANY DOGS REPORTEDLY RUN FREE ON THE ARPT.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,018 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 2,796 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 10,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: INT Winston Salem NC at 10:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 6,655 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:57 pm from INT
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.
Other NTSB records under N66KA 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.