Beech V35B accident near Manassas, Virginia, January 26, 1992
On January 26, 1992 at about 11:39 pm local time, a Beech V35B, registered N3738A, was destroyed in an accident near Manassas, Virginia (Manassas Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REMOVE ICE FROM THE WINGS DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL DURING TAKEOFF DUE TO ICE ON THE WINGS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 1992 · about 11:39 pm local time
- Place
- Manassas, Virginia · Manassas Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3738A · registry record · serial D-10355
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED AT THE ARPT 4 DAYS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. ACFT PARKED NEARBY WERE SNOW COVERED. ALTHOUGH THE PREFLIGHT OF THE ACFT OR TAKEOFF WAS NOT WITNESSED, AIRPORT PERSONNEL SAID THE PILOT BORROWED A BROOM TO USE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. 15 MINUTES LATER THE ACFT CRASHED. THE ACFT STRUCK THE GROUND EAST OF RWY 16R IN A LEFT BANK ATTITUDE, ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY, WHERE IT TOUCHED DOWN IN SNOW COVERED GRASS. THE ACFT TRAVELLED 298 FEET ACROSS THE GROUND BEFORE IT STRUCK A SIX-FOOT DEEP DRAINAGE DITCH, LOCATED PARALLEL AND 227 FEET FROM THE RWY, AND ERUPTED ON FIRE. THE EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION, SNOW WAS REMOVED FROM ANOTHER AIRCRAFT PARKED NEAR THE ACCIDENT ACFT. ICE WAS UNDERNEATH THE SNOW AND COULD NOT BE REMOVED. THE RAMP AREA WHERE THE ACCIDENT ACFT WAS PARKED WAS CHECKED AND AIRFOIL SHAPED ICE WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND WHERE THE TAIL WAS POSITIONED, BUT NONE WHERE THE WING WAS POSITIONED.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 1991
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,703 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 am from IAD, 13 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.