Beech V35B accident near Las Vegas, New Mexico, May 11, 2012
On May 11, 2012, a Beech V35B, registered N645EP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Las Vegas, New Mexico (None airport). 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 loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2012
- Place
- Las Vegas, New Mexico · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N645EP · registry record · serial D-9172
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot departed at night in his single-engine airplane from a remote airport and subsequently impacted terrain southeast of the airport. The airplane wreckage was dispersed over a large area and was heavily fragmented, consistent with a high-speed impact. Examination of the airplane and engine found no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot's logbook was found in the wreckage and was partially completed between 2005 and 2009. There were no logged entries of any night flight time, and the pilot’s most recent simulated instrument training was logged in 2005. The pilot's flight time/experience since 2009 is unknown except for a biennial flight review that was completed in 2011.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,236 hours in all
- Last flight review: September 3, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,380.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2011; 91.2 hours since
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVS Las Vegas NM
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from LVS, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.