- Date
- August 6, 1995, 15:38 local (22:38 UTC)
- Place
- Minden, NV
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N444DGBeech V35B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 29, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950806046859I
- Case key
- 29174
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 pilot's selection of the wrong runway, improper decision to land with a quartering tail wind, and his improper compensation of the prevailing wind conditions. The gusting crosswind and tail wind were factors in this accident.
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 UNICOM operator told the pilot that the surface winds were from the west at 20 knots gusting to 35 knots and suggested runway 16. Runways 30 and 34 were available. The pilot landed on runway 16 and lost directional control. The nose gear collapsed when the airplane exited the runway. The pilot said that he knew he should have landed on either runway 30 or 34.
Factual narrative
On August 6, 1995, at 1538 hours Pacific daylight time, a Beech V35B, N444DG, exited the right side of runway 16 and collapsed the nose gear at Douglas County Airport, Minden, Nevada. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor the three passengers were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Coeur D'Alene Airport, Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, at 1230 hours.
The pilot said in a telephone interview conducted on August 16, 1995, that he called the unicom when the flight was 10 miles north of the airport. The unicom operator reported the winds to be from the west at 20 knots, gusting to 30 knots, and suggested runway 16. The pilot stated he lost directional control during the landing roll and the nose gear collapsed when it entered the soft/rough terrain. He also said that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.
The pilot repeated his telephone statement in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2. He added, however, that he should have landed on runway 30 or 34.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N444DG
- Reported as
- Beech V35B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-9882
- Airframe hours
- 2,970
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Howard L. Mahieu
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 10, 1995 · 110 hours before
- Departed
- COE · Coeur D'Alene, ID
- Destination
- MEV
- Airport
- MEV · Douglas County Airport, runway 16, 7,395 × 100 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
- 68
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,200 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 7,100 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 20 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.