Beech E18S accident near Huntington, West Virginia, February 1, 1985
On February 1, 1985 at about 1:45 am local time, a Beech E18S, registered N95HA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Huntington, West Virginia (Tri State Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- February 1, 1985 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Huntington, West Virginia · Tri State Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech E18S · all E18Ss on the register
- Registration
- N95HA · no longer on the register · serial BA-148
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
3-4 INCH SNOW ACCUMULATION ON ACFT PRIOR TO FLT. PLT SAID HE SWEPT SNOW OFF EXCEPT AN AREA HE COULD NOT REACH. HEAVY SNOWFALL, WET SNOW REPORTED AS ACFT WAS PREPARED FOR DEPARTURE, DRG RUNUP, TAXI AND TAKEOFF. PLT ADVISED BY TOWER THAT VISIBILITY WAS 1/8 MILE WITH FOG AND SNOW. PUBLISHED TKOF MINIMUM FOR FAR 135 OPN WAS 1/2 MILE. AFTER RIKING SNOWPLOW LOCATED 150 FEET LEFT OF RWY. ACFT CONTINUED OVER EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. ICE AND SNOW FND ON UPPER TAIL SURFACE. ELEVATOR TRIM INDICATED FULL NOSE DN. AILERON TRIM IND LEFT BANK. WITNESSES SAID ENGS SOUNDED NORMAL, LDG LIGHTS ON, 600 FEET VISIBILITY FROM POSITION OF SNOWPLOW. PLT SAID 35 INCHES MAP WHEN DESCENDING. MAP INCREASED WITH ADDITIONAL THROTTLE. NO ENGINE ROUGHNESS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,022 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 6,802 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,877 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1985; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN14B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HTS Huntington WV at 1:45 am
- Destination: SDF Louisville KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 6,509 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 125 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from HTS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.