Beech 58 accident near Hot Springs, Virginia, October 24, 1984
On October 24, 1984 at about 12:08 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N777AB, was destroyed in an accident near Hot Springs, Virginia (Ingalls Field). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- October 24, 1984 · about 12:08 pm local time
- Place
- Hot Springs, Virginia · Ingalls Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N777AB · no longer on the register · serial TH-209
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE DESTN ARPT WAS UNATTENDED AT NIGHT & WHEN THE PLT RECEIVED HIS LAST WX BRIEFING AT 0519 CDT, NO CURRENT WX INFO WAS AVAILABLE. DURING ARRIVAL, THE ACFT WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS RWY 24 APCH & THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT CURRENT WX INFO WAS STILL NOT AVAILABLE. BEFORE REACHING THE OUTER MARKER (FAF), THE PLT STATED (2 TIMES) THAT HE WAS NOT RECEIVING THE ILS LOCALIZER. HOWEVER, THE ADF EQUIPPED ACFT THEN TRACKED BACK ON COURSE & CROSSED OVER THE FAF/LOM BEACON. AT 0801, THE PLT WAS CLEARED FOR THE APCH & RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED. APRX 7 MIN LATER, HE DECLARED A MISSED APCH, THEN RADIO & RADARCONTACT WERE LOST. THE ACFT WAS FOUND WHERE IT CRASHED ABOUT 1 MI SE OF THE ARPT AT AN ELEV OF 3575'. THE ARPT ELEV WAS 3792'. WHEN THE LOCAL ALT SETTING WAS NOT AVAILABLE & THE ROANOKE SETTING WAS USED, MINIMUMS WERE 630' CEILING & 2 MI VISIBILITY. THE 0810 WX WAS IN PART: 100' OBSCURED & 1/8 MI VIS WITH FOG. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ILS LOCALIZER HAD TRIPPED OFF FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON AT SOMETIME BEFORE 0755 WHILE THE ARPT WAS UNATTENDED; IT WORKED OK AFTER RESET.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,373 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 19, 1984; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: W09 Leesburg VA at 11:20 am
- Destination: HSP
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 5,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Sky: not recorded at 100 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:10 pm from HSP, 1 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.