Beech B35 accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, December 25, 2009
On December 25, 2009 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Beech B35, registered N8828A, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Santa Fe, New Mexico (Santa Fe Municipal 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An engine overpressure condition that resulted in oil getting on the exhaust and producing smoke which entered the cockpit. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's obscured vision due to smoke.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 2009 · about 4:30 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico · Santa Fe Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B35 · all B35s on the register
- Registration
- N8828A · no longer on the register · serial D-2373
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a departure on a cross-country flight the private pilot noticed an oily smoke entering the airplane's cockpit. As the smoke began to accumulate, the pilot's vision was obscured. The pilot landed on the only runway he could see through the smoke. The airplane touched down with the left wing low and the airplane departed the side of the runway. An overpressure condition in the engine's crankcase resulted in oil being driven out of the crankcase and onto the exhaust system. Smoke entered the cockpit through the heater duct system and gaps in the firewall.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during initial climb defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Not specified other cases naming the engine
- factor Environmental issues › Task environment › Physical workspace › Visibility › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all
- Last flight review: February 3, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,767.0 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 2009
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor E-185-8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: KSAF Santa Fe NM at 4:50 pm
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 02, 8,342 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KSAF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 26, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1: Not Obtained | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Correspondence: E-mail from Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8828A: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Beechcraft B35 147 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor E-185-8 1,108 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Santa FE Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in New Mexico 1,423 since 1982 · 184 in the last ten years
- New Mexico 3,114 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN10LA083.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.