Beech V35 accident near Marco Island, Florida, March 25, 1997
On March 25, 1997, a Beech V35, registered N9049S, was destroyed in an accident near Marco Island, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadvertent flight by the pilot into adverse weather conditions (severe thunderstorms), which led the design stress limits of the airplane being exceeded, subsequent in-flight break-up of the airplane, and an uncontrolled collision with water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 1997
- Place
- Marco Island, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35 · all V35s on the register
- Registration
- N9049S · registry record · serial D-8037
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After departing Marathon, Florida, the aircraft began to encounter instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot received an instrument clearance, including a convective SIGMET warning, and he continued on his flight to Punta Gorda, Florida. At 1907:43, radio contact with the pilot was lost, when the airplane was over the Gulf of Mexico about 20 miles southwest of Marco Island, Florida. Approximately 30 seconds later, radar contact was also lost. Reportedly, the weather in the area included extreme, intense, and very strong weather echoes. The last radar 'hit' of the airplane showed two distinct returns approximately 3/4 of a mile apart; an in-flight breakup of the airplane was presumed to have occurred. One occupant (a private pilot, who was fatally injured) and minimal airplane debris were recovered. The other 2 occupants were presumed to be fatally injured.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 540 hours in all; 40 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA2 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: MTH Marathon FL at 11:38 pm
- Destination: PGD Punta Gorda FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:46 pm from APF, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N9049S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL97FA054.