- Date
- January 25, 1985, 18:20 local (Jan 26, 1985, 02:20 UTC)
- Place
- Verdi, NV
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1560SBeech BE-35
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850125001449A
- Case key
- 40032
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
In flight encounter with weather
Weather condition - obscurationFactor
Lack of total instrument timeCause
Weather condition - low ceilingFactor
Lack of recent instrument timeCause
Preflight planning/preparation - inadequateCause
Weather evaluation - not attainedCause
Preflight briefing service - not usedCause
Vfr flight into imc - improperCause
Radio communications - not usedCause
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - mountainous/hillyFactor
Became lost/disoriented - inadvertentCause
Terrain condition - snow coveredFactor
In-flight planning/decision - poorCause
Judgment - poorCause
In-flight briefing service - not usedCause
Clearance - not maintainedCause
Remedial action - not attainedCause
Analysis
Pilot impacted rising terrain while descending into & thru IFR weather conditions during VFR flight. Lost visual contact w/ground and broke out in mountains.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1560S
- Reported as
- Beech BE-35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-6991
- Engine
- Continental IO-470, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gene Bixby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Q99 · San Jose, CA
- Destination
- O04 · Carson City, NV
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 750 total · 375 in this make and model · 700 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.