- Date
- July 29, 1995, 15:27 local (22:27 UTC)
- Place
- Elko, NV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9599YBeech P35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 27, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950729020069A
- Case key
- 29168
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed in a turn during high wind conditions while executing a go-around at a low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and an uncontrolled descent into the ground.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The cross-country pilot was cleared to land on runway 12, with the winds reported to be from 190 to 230 degrees at 35 knots. The pilot was observed to be landing too long and he stated he was going around. Ground witnesses observed the aircraft begin a turn to the left, flying at a slow airspeed and at a low altitude, with the wings rocking back and forth. They then saw the aircraft stall and descend nose first into the ground. The other runway (05/23) that was more favorable for the wind conditions was closed due to construction.
Factual narrative
On July 29, 1995, at 1527 hours Pacific daylight time, a Beech P35, N9599Y, owned and operated by the pilot, crashed during a go-around at the airport in Elko, Nevada. The aircraft was destroyed and the private pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft had departed earlier from Ogden, Utah, with a destination of Sacramento, California. The pilot received a weather briefing from the Flight Service Station (FSS) at Cedar City, Utah, and an updated briefing from the Reno FSS for the Sacramento area when approaching Elko.
According to the Elko air traffic controller, the pilot reported that he was northeast of the airport and would like to land. The winds at the time were variable from 190 to 230 degrees at 23 knots, gusting to 35 knots. The aircraft appeared to land too long and the pilot stated he was going around and would attempt to land on runway 30. The pilot made a left turn and was then observed to nose down into the ground. The pilot indicated no mechanical problems with the aircraft during these radio transmissions.
According to ground witnesses, the aircraft started a left turn at a low altitude and was observed to be flying at a slow speed with the wings rocking back and forth. All of the witnesses commented on the windy conditions, with several stating the pilot was in obvious trouble because of them. It was during the turn to the left that some of them observed the aircraft stall and descend nose down into the ground.
Examination of the aircraft under the supervision of an FAA inspector from the Reno, Nevada, Flight Standards District Office found that the landing gear and the flaps were retracted at the time of impact. There was no ground fire and no evidence found of an aircraft malfunction. See the attachments to this report for details.
The elevation of the Elko airport is 5,135 feet and the temperature was recorded as 89 degrees. The density altitude was estimated to be about 8,000 feet. Also recorded shortly after the accident was a visibility of 2.5 miles with blowing dust and variable winds from 190 to 260 degrees at 28 knots, gusting to 38 knots.
According to the tower controller, runway 05/23 was closed for construction and this was acknowledged by the pilot.
The toxicological report on the pilot was negative for carbon monoxide, drugs, cyanide, and ethanol.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9599Y
- Reported as
- Beech P35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-7047
- Airframe hours
- 2,352
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-N, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John H Dotter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 6, 1995 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- OGD · Ogden, UT
- Destination
- SAC · Sacramento, CA
- Airport
- EKO · Elko Municipal, runway 12, 3,331 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 717 total · 394 in this make and model · 650 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 28 knots, gusting 38
- Visibility
- 2.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EKO, 2 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.