Beechcraft S35 N272D

Summary

On 25 February 2012 at about 13:25 local time, a Beechcraft S35 registered N272D, operated by Danny Lee Urquhart, was involved in an accident near Dixie Valley, Nevada, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 February 2012 at 13:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Dixie Valley, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Dixie Valley (NV30)

Coordinates

39.9531, -117.8269

Aircraft

Beechcraft S35

Registration

N272D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Danny Lee Urquhart

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dixie Valley → Fallon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR12LA116

Nobody was injured.

The airplane’s encounter with forecast low-level windshear conditions during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of lift.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Earlier in the morning, the pilot arrived at the airport with two revenue passengers and encountered moderate turbulence during the landing approach, such that he canceled the first landing attempt and maneuvered the airplane for landing on the opposite runway. The subsequent landing was uneventful. Before departing on the accident flight with two other revenue passengers, the pilot checked the windsock and elected to depart on a runway away from rising terrain with a gusting 90-degree right crosswind. Just after rotation, the wind shifted to a tailwind, and the pilot felt the airplane sink. The pilot was confident that, once he descended low enough to be influenced by ground-effect conditions, he would be able to regain enough airspeed to continue the climb. Shortly thereafter, the propeller blades struck the ground, and the airplane slid to a halt in the dirt about 2,400 feet beyond the runway. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Gusting wind conditions, including moderate turbulence and low-level windshear referenced in an AIRMET (airmen's meteorological information) advisory, existed at the time of both the inbound and outbound flights. The pilot was aware of these conditions, having received both an in-flight briefing and an online briefing prior to the inbound flight. The pilot had flown this route routinely for many years and deemed the conditions typical for the area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.