Beech B50 accident near Clanton, Alabama, July 7, 2002
On July 7, 2002 at about 3:50 am local time, a Beech B50, registered N550G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clanton, Alabama (Gragg-Wade Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 directional control of the airplane during an aborted landing that resulted in a ground swerve and the airplane exiting the runway and collided with a fence, incurring damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2002 · about 3:50 am local time
- Place
- Clanton, Alabama · Gragg-Wade Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B50 · all B50s on the register
- Registration
- N550G · no longer on the register · serial CH19
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he did not like his alignment with the landing runway, so he attempted a go-around fairly close to the ground. He said that he pushed the throttles forward to obtain full power and the airplane immediately yawed to the left and the nose and right wing pitched up. He said that the left engine did not produce power and that he applied full right rudder control input, "pulled" the power, and pushed the nose over to counteract the yaw, but the airplane touched down on the runway, having yawed to the left, and departed the runway to the left into the grass and impacted a fence, incurring damage. The passenger stated that the pilot was performing a touch-and-go landing, and that the landing flare/touchdown was uneventful. He said that during the takeoff roll the aircraft began to veer to the left, and the pilot appeared to be applying corrective rudder input trying to maintain control, but 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 725 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 578 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 22, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 960 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GO-435C2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PLR Pell City AL at 2:30 am
- Destination: 02A Clanton AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from MGM, 170 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.