Beech V35 accident near Dodge City, Kansas, December 6, 2009
On December 6, 2009 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Beech V35, registered N108L, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Dodge City, Kansas (Dodge City Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pitot heat system in icing conditions resulting in an inoperative airspeed indicator which led to an inadvertant stall while on final approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to fly into known icing conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2009 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Dodge City, Kansas · Dodge City Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35 · all V35s on the register
- Registration
- N108L · registry record · serial D-8300
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the pitot heat system was working during preflight. He obtained a full weather briefing from flight service, and checked the weather via the internet before departing. While airborne at 6,000 feet to 6,500 feet mean sea level he encountered instrument meteorological conditions and turned on the pitot heat. Sometime later, the airplane encountered moderate icing conditions. The airspeed indicator stopped working and the pilot diverted from his route of flight to an alternate airport. While over the runway on landing approach, the airplane stalled and landed hard, substantially damaging the airplane. Ice was found at the impact site, on the airplanes surfaces, and in the pitot tube. Inspection of the pitot tube revealed the pitot heat was not functioning at the pitot tube. On the day of the accident there were two AIRMETs for moderate icing in effect for the pilot’s route of flight and altitude. The pilot could not recall being informed of the icing conditions during his weather briefing and his briefing from flight service could not be located.
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
- Other weather encounter during enroute (cruise)
- Structural icing during enroute (cruise)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise)
- Flight instrument malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (IFR final approach)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to structural icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Pitot/static anti › ice › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › Indep instrument (clock, etc) › Inoperative
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Attain/maintain not possible
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,926 hours in all; 7,157 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 9,827 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,842 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2009
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANE Minneapolis MN at 4:55 pm
- Destination: DHT Dalhart TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 6,899 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; ovct at 500 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 8:27 pm from DDC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.