Beechcraft V35 N831U

Summary

On 3 May 1997 at about 15:00 local time, a Beechcraft V35 registered N831U was involved in an accident near Lake George, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 May 1997 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lake George, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Persons (CO96)

Coordinates

38.9802, -105.3709

Aircraft

Beechcraft V35

Registration

N831U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Englewood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

FTW97FA174

2 people died.

The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain control of the airplane. A factor was the terrain-induced turbulence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During final approach, the airplane collided with the 30-degree upslope side of an embankment about 15 feet below the runway threshold and 10 feet right of runway centerline. The airplane then traveled up and onto the runway and skidded 64 feet before coming to a halt on the right edge of the runway. Fire and rescue personnel said that when they arrived on the scene, the wind was gusting approximately 20 knots. A witness who saw the airplane on its landing approach said the pilot was making a 'steep' approach. He said it was 'very windy, really blowing, about 50 knots.' According to the pilot's wife, her husband had been flying out of the ranch airstrip about four years, often commuting every day to his business, and was thoroughly aware of the variable wind conditions in the area. She said he always made steep approaches at higher than normal airspeeds to compensate for the sudden changes in wind direction and velocity.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.