Beech E35 accident near West Yellowstone, MT
On August 12, 2013, a Beech E35 (airplane) was involved in an accident near West Yellowstone, MT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 12, 2013
- Place
- West Yellowstone, MT
- Aircraft
- Beech E35 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 44.703°N, 111.108°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130812X51051
Official records · WPR13FA368
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 12, 2013, about 1130 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Beech E35, N3226C, impacted terrain while landing at Yellowstone Airport (WYS), West Yellowstone, Montana. The airplane was registered to Avery Enterprises, Inc., and operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the one passenger sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage by impact forces. The cross-country business flight departed Rigby, Idaho, sometime after 1000, with a planned destination of Tioga, North Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The passenger was hospitalized for an extended period of time and the family reported he had no recollection of the accident. Witnesses at WYS reported that the accident pilot repeatedly attempted to make radio contact on the airport unicom frequency (123.0), but he did not respond to any of the fix base operator's replies. The accident airplane was observed making a low approach down runway 19 between 100-200 feet above ground level, with the landing gear extended. When the witnesses next observed the airplane, it was on the downwind, about 50-75 feet above the ground. The landing gear was still in the extended position, and the engine sounds were normal. One witness watched the airplane as it turned left onto the base leg. It appeared to him that the airplane had overflown final, and was attempting to correct "when it stalled." The witness then saw the airplane descend in a nose low attitude until i
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while aligning the airplane with the runway for landing, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction during landing due to the effects of an inoperative generator.
More accidents in MT
- Pilatus PC-12/45, Mar 22, 2009
- Beech D18S, Jul 5, 1987
- Cessna 550, Dec 18, 1992
- Beech V35B, Jun 24, 1982
- Cessna 182C, May 12, 2007
Browse: Montana · 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.
