Beech F33A accident near Mooresville, North Carolina, July 6, 2010
On July 6, 2010 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Beech F33A, registered N350NW, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Mooresville, North Carolina (Lake Norman Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2010 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mooresville, North Carolina · Lake Norman Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F33A · all F33As on the register
- Registration
- N350NW · registry record · serial CE-753
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Because the airplane had not flown for an extended period of time, the pilot elected to fly the airplane to his home in order to run the engine. During the preflight inspection, the pilot removed trace amounts of water and contaminants by draining fuel samples from the fuel tanks several times. The pilot subsequently departed and the flight proceeded uneventfully. Upon entering the traffic pattern at the destination airport, the pilot activated the fuel boost pump according to the airplane's before-landing checklist. Immediately after the fuel pump activated, the engine began to lose power, and after turning off the fuel boost pump the pilot attempted to restart the engine. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a lake, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing tip. Postaccident inspection revealed no evidence of any obvious mechanical deficiencies of the engine, though an attempted test run of the engine was unsuccessful.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,757 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 3,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 5, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 17, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GSO Greensboro NC at 10:00 pm
- Destination: 14A Mooresville NC
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:20 pm from SVH, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N350NW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.