Beech 95 accident near Minden, NV
On May 9, 2009, a Beech 95 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Minden, NV. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 9, 2009
- Place
- Minden, NV
- Aircraft
- Beech 95 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 38.929°N, 119.818°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090509X11335
Official records · WPR09FA235
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 9, 2009, at 1610 Pacific daylight time, a Beech BE-95-A55, N1533Z, impacted terrain while maneuvering at low altitude near Minden, Nevada. The airplane was operated by the private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot and four passengers were killed, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight plan had not been filed. The flight originated at Minden-Tahoe Airport, Minden, about 1600. Witnesses reported to the Douglass County Sheriff that the pilot had taken four friends that were attending an outdoor working group on a local flight. The airplane made two to three passes over the working group. On the final pass, witnesses reported that the plane was slightly above the tops of the local houses, between 100 and 300 feet above ground level (agl), traveling from northeast to southwest. The airplane made a sudden steep climbing left turn, appeared to decelerate at the top of the climbing turn, then dropped towards the ground nose first, and impacted the grass field. Witnesses consistently reported that the airplane appeared to be in 90 degrees angle of bank just before it descended. The engines could be heard "running perfectly" throughout the maneuver. A hiker in the hills to the west of the accident site photographed the airplane just before the accident. The photographer was above the airplane and the photograph depicts the airplane flying over the grass pasture with the landing gear and flaps retracted. The airplane casts a shadow on the gr
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering during a low altitude maneuver that resulted in a stall.
More accidents in NV
- Cessna 425, Jan 12, 1992
- Cessna TU206G, Dec 7, 1986
- Beech A36TC, Dec 25, 2003
- Cessna T21OL, Mar 1, 1982
- Pilatus PC-12/45, Feb 25, 2023
Browse: Nevada · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
