Beech C35 accident near Rupert, West Virginia, April 6, 1989
On April 6, 1989 at about 4:58 pm local time, a Beech C35, registered N9502C, was destroyed in an accident near Rupert, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT INADVERTANTLY FLEW INTO IMC WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN VFR AND COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING A STEEP TURN DURING HIS ATTEMPT TO TURN AWAY FROM IMC. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT WERE DETERMINED TO BE FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: LOW CEILINGS, OBSCURATION, SNOW, AND TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1989 · about 4:58 pm local time
- Place
- Rupert, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C35 · all C35s on the register
- Registration
- N9502C · no longer on the register · serial D-3261
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PVT PLT AND 3 PAX DPTD PARKERSBURG (PKB) EN ROUTE TO LEWISBURG (LWB). ALTHOUGH NO WITNESSES COULD BE FOUND WHO SAW THE ACCIDENT, A LADY DID OBSERVE AN ACFT FLYING TOWARD LWB AT AN ALT OF APRX 700-800 FT AGL AS IT PASSED OVER HER RESIDENCE WHICH WAS AT AN ELEVATION OF 2,600 FT AGL. SHE INDICATED THAT THE CEILING WAS SOLID OVERCAST ABOVE THE ACFT AND THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL. EXAMINATION OF THE 3,800 FT MSL WRECKAGE SITE DID NOT REVEALANY PREIMPACT FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. A CFI FLYING 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE ABOUT 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT OBSERVED MOUNTAIN TOPS THAT WERE TOTALLY OBSCURED BY CLOUDS AND HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS.
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
- Flight time: 445 hours in all; 187 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 383 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,631 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 1989; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PKB Parkersburg WV at 4:09 pm
- Destination: LWB Lewisburg WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.