Beech 300/F accident near Front Royal, Virginia, October 26, 1993
On October 26, 1993 at about 7:52 pm local time, a Beech 300/F, registered N82, was destroyed in an accident near Front Royal, Virginia. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the pilot-in-command to ensure that the airplane remained in visual meteorological conditions over mountainous terrain, and the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration executives and managers responsible for the FAA flying program to: 1)establish effective and accountable leadership and oversight of flying operations; 2)establish minimum mission and operational performance standards; 3)recognize and address performance-related problems among the organization's pilots; and 4) remove from flight operations duty pilots who were not performing to standards.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 1993 · about 7:52 pm local time
- Place
- Front Royal, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 300/F · all 300/Fs on the register
- Registration
- N82 · no longer on the register · serial FF-17
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was flying at 2,000 feet in the vicinity of high terrain when the airplane entered IMC conditions. The airplane struck the high terrain near the LINDEN VOR, while the PIC was awaiting an IFR clearance.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,700 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 108 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,353 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 30, 1993; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-60A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Federal Aviation Admin
The flight
- Departed from: W16 Winchester VA at 7:50 pm
- Destination: PHF Newport News VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; ovct at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:01 pm from W16, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.