Beech 35F accident near Mt Dora, Florida, July 24, 1995
On July 24, 1995 at about 11:50 am local time, a Beech 35F, registered N4288B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mt Dora, Florida (Mid Florida Air Service airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation by allowing the airplane's weight and balance to be exceeded, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane, while turning after takeoff, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1995 · about 11:50 am local time
- Place
- Mt Dora, Florida · Mid Florida Air Service · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35F · all 35Fs on the register
- Registration
- N4288B · no longer on the register · serial D-4219
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger were en route to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association annual meeting. They had intended to camp in tents while at the meeting. The pilot departed his home earlier in the morning, and flew to the Mid-Florida Airport to pick up a passenger. After arriving, the pilot told witnesses that during the flight, the airplane's center of gravity was aft, and he had to use a lot of forward trim to maintain level flight. The pilot and passenger hurriedly loaded the passenger's baggage on board the airplane, without weighing the baggage, and attempted to depart. The takeoff roll was longer than normal, and the airplane climbed to about 300 feet. The airplane began a right turn, then it entered a left bank, which continued to steepen. The airplane then entered a steep descent and crashed in a lake. Weight and balance calculations showed the airplane's gross weight (GW) was 2765 pounds, and its center-of-gravity (CG) was at 85.4 inches. Its maximum certificated GW for takeoff was 2757.5 pounds, and its aft CG limit for that weight was 85.1 inches.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 212 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 168 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,533 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1995; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X55 at 11:40 am
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 80 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from ORL, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.