Beech 58P accident near Burnsville, North Carolina, May 30, 1994
On May 30, 1994 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Beech 58P, registered N36LC, was destroyed in an accident near Burnsville, North Carolina (Mountain Air airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN A PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT, RESULTING IN A LONG LANDING, AND HIS DELAYED DECISION TO GO AROUND. FACTORS WERE THE MOUNTAINOUS CONDITIONS AT THE LANDING SITE, THE EXISTING TAILWIND, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE LANDING ENVIRONMENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 1994 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Burnsville, North Carolina · Mountain Air · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N36LC · no longer on the register · serial TJ-28
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS LANDING HIS AIRPLANE ON A PRIVATE, ASPHALT RUNWAY AT A GOLF RESORT IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA (MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN). THE RUNWAY WAS 2,843 FT LONG, ELEVATION 4,432 FT MSL. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED LONG, AND ONE OF THE WITNESSES (WHO WAS ALSO A PILOT) REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW A FASTER THAN NORMAL FINAL APPROACH, WITH A TAIL WIND. AN EXAMINATION OF THE RUNWAY REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 1,500 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, AND TIRE SKID MARKS STARTED ABOUT 1,679 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY, CONTINUING TO THE RUNWAY EDGE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A GO AROUND AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, BUT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AS IT CONTINUED DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A CONSTRUCTION AREA ON THE GOLF COURSE. THE PILOT'S WIFE REPORTED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HER HUSBAND HAD FLOWN TO THIS AIRSTRIP.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,435 hours in all; 485 in this make and model; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,082 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,766 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 1993; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: RUQ Salisbury NC at 1:22 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 2,843 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from AVL, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N36LC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL94FA110.