Beagle Aircraft B.206 Basset accident near West Carrollton, Ohio, October 2, 2002
On October 2, 2002 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Beagle Aircraft B.206 Basset, registered N72KB, was destroyed in an accident near West Carrollton, Ohio (Moraine Airpark airport). It was a ferry 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 pilots inadequate preflight inspection, his operation of the airplane with an overdue annual inspection, and his failure to maintain airspeed after the failure of an engine which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. A factor related to the accident was the contaminated fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2002 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- West Carrollton, Ohio · Moraine Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beagle Aircraft B.206 Basset
- Registration
- N72KB · registry record · serial 064
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane arrived at the departure airport about the middle of April 2002, and remained parked until the day of the accident. On the day of the accident, a mechanic was asked by the pilot to help him because he was having trouble starting the airplane. When the mechanic arrived at the airplane, he drained about 2-1/2 gallons of water from the center sump drain located under the main fuselage, and the engine subsequently started. The airplane was then fueled with 224.5 gallons of aviation gasoline, and the mechanic added that he did not sump the airplane after it was fueled, nor did he observe the pilot perform visual inspection of the fuel. A witness observed the accident airplane as it was departing. He stated that the airplane's engines sounded like they were running good, but did not sound like they were developing full power. As the airplane continued down the runway, it appeared to be traveling very slowly, and not gaining sufficient speed for takeoff. The airplane lifted abruptly into the air about 3/4 of the way down the runway, and the landing gear was retracted. The airplane settled towards the ground, clearing the levee located at the departure end of the runway by a few feet. The airplane then began a climb again, reaching a height of about 120 feet, and proceeded straight out from the airport. About 30 seconds later, the airplane banked gently to the left, where a faint puff of black smoke was observed coming from an engine. As the bank continued, the airplane descended into a near vertical dive. The witness observed the top portion of the airplane as it was in the vertical dive, before it descended out of sight. The airplane came to rest upright in a residential area about 1 mile southwest of I73, and a post crash fire ensued. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on March 29, 2001. Examination of the left engine propeller assembly, which was imbedded in a dirt crater, exhibited rearward bending to all three blades. No chordwise scratching was observed on any of the blades. Examination of the right engine propeller assembly, which was imbedded in a cement sidewalk, exhibited s-bending and chordwise scratches to all three blades. The pilot had applied for, and was granted, a ferry permit to fly the airplane the day of the accident.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 27,560 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,970 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 7,499 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental GTISO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental GTISO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: I73 Moraine OH at 7:38 pm
- Destination: ESN Easton MD
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from DAY, 21 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.
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.