Beech D35 accident near Taos, New Mexico, March 16, 2009
On March 16, 2009 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Beech D35, registered N342R, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Taos, New Mexico (Taos Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the student pilot to complete the before landing checklist. Contributing to the accident was his failure to lower the landing gear before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 2009 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Taos, New Mexico · Taos Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D35 · all D35s on the register
- Registration
- N342R · registry record · serial D-3422
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was landing at the non-towered airport after a cross country flight, when he made a "short approach", did not use any flaps, and kept an approach speed that was about 30 knots faster than normal. The student pilot said he didn't use his normal checklist procedure and that everything seemed to be going "too fast" when the airplane landed on the asphalt runway with the landing gear retracted and the skin on the belly of the fuselage was ground down to the main keel. There was no injury to the solo student pilot, but substantial damage to the fuselage structure.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Student pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: January 1, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,033 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 11, 2008; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,725 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 BB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: E14 Espanola NM
- Destination: KSKX Taos NM
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 22, 5,803 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from KSKX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 CEN09CA223.