Beechcraft V35 N35DC

Summary

On 21 October 2020 at about 19:31 local time, a Beechcraft V35 registered N35DC was involved in an accident near Slidell, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 October 2020 at 19:31

Classification

Accident

Location

Slidell, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Slidell Airport (ASD)

Coordinates

30.3554, -89.8234

Aircraft

Beechcraft V35

Registration

N35DC

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → New Orleans

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21FA025

1 person died.

The pilot’s loss of control shortly after departure for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and flight instructor had just completed a one-hour uneventful local flight to test the recently-repaired autopilot. The pilot landed the airplane, dropped off the instructor at the terminal, and then taxied away. Minutes later the airplane departed to the north, reached about 200 ft above the ground, and entered a left turn. The airplane subsequently descended into trees and terrain and a postimpact fire consumed most of the airplane. There were no witnesses to the accident, and about 4 hours after the accident smoke from the wreckage was reported by another pilot. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation; the accident site was consistent with a steep, nose-low descent with the engine producing power. The medical investigation in this case revealed that the pilot had a history of significant coronary artery disease with stents and had used a sedating medication (cetirizine) at some time before the flight; however, whether the pilot’s heart condition or use of sedating medication contributed to the accident could not be determined based on the available information. The evidence at the accident site and the lack of mechanical anomalies are consistent with a loss of control during takeoff; however, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.