Beech B60 accident near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, February 11, 1995
On February 11, 1995 at about 6:27 pm local time, a Beech B60, registered N6749S, was destroyed in an accident near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S CONTINUED VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT RESULTED IN A COLLISION WITH RISING TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 1995 · about 6:27 pm local time
- Place
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech B60 · all B60s on the register
- Registration
- N6749S · no longer on the register · serial P519
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT DEPARTED KNOXVILLE ON A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT TO THE GATLINBURG AREA. A FEW MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT REQUESTED THE ILS APPROACH TO KNOXVILLE. ABOUT TWO MINUTES AFTER THE INITIAL REQUEST, HE REQUESTED IMMEDIATE RADAR VECTORS. THE CONTROLLER REQUESTED THE FLIGHT'S ALTITUDE, BUT THERE WAS NO REPLY FROM THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AT THE 3500 FOOT LEVEL OF RISING TERRAIN SEVEN MILES SOUTHWEST OF GATLINBURG. A HIKER REPORTED HEARING, THE SOUND OF THE ENGINES RUNNING UNTIL THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES. THE HIKER ALSO STATED THAT CLOUDS OBSCURED THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE DISCLOSED THAT WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA 650 FEET LONG AND 75 FEET WIDE. THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL PROBLEM.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,488 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 1994; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,775 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-541-E1C4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TYS Knoxville TN at 6:14 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:40 pm from GKT, 7 miles away
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.
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.