Beech S35 accident near Angola, Indiana, January 6, 2002
On January 6, 2002 at about 10:55 pm local time, a Beech S35, registered N7915K, was destroyed in an accident near Angola, Indiana (Tri-State Stuben County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot 's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and encountered a stall on approach to land. The low altitude on final approach was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 2002 · about 10:55 pm local time
- Place
- Angola, Indiana · Tri-State Stuben County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech S35 · all S35s on the register
- Registration
- N7915K · registry record · serial 300599
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed by a post impact fire after it collided with terrain following loss of control while on final approach to land. The pilot reported that he was approximately 500 feet from the runway when the right wing stalled at 130 miles per hour and the aircraft rolled to the right 130 degrees. The pilot stated that he applied full power and rolled the aircraft upright, but it felt like the aircraft was being pushed straight down. He reported that they hit the ground almost flat, bounced, and then slid across the highway before coming to a rest. According to the pilot, he and his two passengers exited the airplane prior to it catching fire.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,115 hours in all; 175 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,883 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 22, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CAD Cadillac MI at 9:56 pm
- Destination: ANQ Angola IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 05, 4,540 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 11:25 pm from ANQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.