Beech 36 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, June 26, 2004
On June 26, 2004, a Beech 36, registered N7673N, was destroyed in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during cruise flight, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2004
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 36 · all 36s on the register
- Registration
- N7673N · no longer on the register · serial E-88
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo private pilot was on a day VFR personal cross-country flight when the airplane collided with gradually up-sloping terrain in a remote area. The pilot was fatally injured, and a postcrash fire consumed the airplane's fuselage and empennage. On site investigation disclosed that the airplane impacted in a near level attitude, with the airplane's crash path and debris field approximately 400 feet long. The airplane propeller hub assembly and propellers were found in the debris field. The propeller tips were fragmented, and the remaining blades had torsional twisting and leading edge gouges. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction was discovered. Conversations with the co-owner of the airplane revealed that the pilot was on vacation in Alaska from California, and had frequently flown the airplane to Alaska. The co-owner noted that the airplane was equipped with a functioning 3-axis autopilot, and that he and the accident pilot utilized it on most flights. He said he was unaware of any mechanical problems with the airplane. A family member of the pilot indicated that he was taking oral medication to control diabetes, but no additional information was provided or discovered. The FAA was unaware of any medical conditions the pilot may have had, and a postmortem examination and toxicological samples disclosed no definitive evidence of preimpact incapacitation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,650 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,865 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 3,850 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PAEN Kenai AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.