Cessna 402B accident near Hickory, North Carolina, December 14, 1994
On December 14, 1994 at about 2:18 pm local time, a Cessna 402B, registered N7628R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hickory, North Carolina (Hickory Regional airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN A PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT DURING THE TRANSITION TO LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN A LONG LANDING AND OVERRUN. FACTORS WERE THE LOW CEILINGS AND FOG WHICH PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 1994 · about 2:18 pm local time
- Place
- Hickory, North Carolina · Hickory Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7628R · registry record · serial 402B0571
- 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
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT HAD JUST EXECUTED A MISSED APPROACH AT HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT, AND REQUESTED AN ILS APPROACH TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. DURING THE ILS, HE OBSERVED OFF FLAGS ON THE GLIDE SLOPE, AND TRANSITIONED TO A LOCALIZER APPROACH. HE BROKE OUT OF THE WEATHER, AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 24. HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT IN THE REMAINING RUNWAY DISTANCE. THE AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE RUNWAY, COLLIDED WITH A FENCE, AND CAME TO REST AGAINST AN EMBANKMENT. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT DIVING TOWARD THE RUNWAY PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, AND A FLIGHT SERVICE STATION SUPERVISOR ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT THE 1,800 FOOT REMAINING POINT ON THE 6,400 FOOT LONG RUNWAY.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, foreign licence, student
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 1,510 hours in all; 205 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,410 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,739 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Grand Strand Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: CLT Charlotte NC at 1:38 pm
- Destination: UKF No. Wilkesboro NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 6,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from HKY, 1 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.
Other NTSB records under N7628R 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.