Beagle Aircraft B-206 Series 2 accident near Mcalpin, Florida, September 21, 2002
On September 21, 2002 at about 3:50 pm local time, a Beagle Aircraft B-206 Series 2, registered N86GW, was destroyed in an accident near Mcalpin, Florida (Little River Airpark 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 maintain an adequate airspeed to sustain controlled flight, which resulted in an inadvertent stall during a turn from base to final. A contributing factor was the pilot's use of judgment and performance impairing drugs.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2002 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Mcalpin, Florida · Little River Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beagle Aircraft B-206 Series 2
- Registration
- N86GW · registry record · serial 046
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain in a nose low pitch attitude after the private pilot lost control during a turn from base to final approach. Witnesses located at the arrival airport reported the accident airplane flew a fairly "tight" right downwind pattern for runway 36 that was a "little low" (about 650 to 750 feet above ground level [agl]). The surface winds were from the east, and according to the witnesses, the result was that the pilot overshot his turn to final approach. The pilot corrected back toward the centerline in a fairly steep bank when the airplane was observed to enter a roll to the right, the nose dropped toward the ground. The witnesses then lost sight of the airplane as it descended behind trees in a nose low pitch attitude. Witnesses estimated the altitude of the airplane at the time of the roll was between 300 and 350 feet agl. The private pilot flew the airplane once within the preceding 6 months and twice within the past 12 months. No anomalies with the airframe or engines were noted that would have prevented their normal operation. According to the fixed-based operator, where the airplane was based, fueling personnel added 10 gallons to each wing prior to the accident flight; however, they were not sure what the airplane's total fuel quantity was. The unusable fuel quantity was 6.1 gallons. The fuel consumption rate varied between 24.4 and 33.0 gallons per hour depending on the power setting, and the accident flight lasted 35 minutes. No fuel was found in the fuel system components for the right engine with the exception of the fuel manifold. It was possible that the right engine's fuel supply line may have become unported during the steep bank to final; however, with an unknown fuel quantity, this could not be determined conclusively. Toxicology tests performed on the pilot were positive for tramadol (prescription painkiller) and chlorpheniramine (antihistamine, commonly used in over-the-counter cold/allergy preparations). Side effects for the drugs include dizziness, sleepiness, and performance degradation for complex cognitive and motor tasks. It is likely the use of the two drugs impaired the pilot's judgment and performance in pre-flight planning and in the flight itself.
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: 1,863 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,692 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 31, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,381.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2002; 3.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental GTSIO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental GTSIO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 23J Jacksonville FL at 3:15 pm
- Destination: Mcalpin FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from GNV, 43 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.
Other NTSB records under N86GW 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.