Beech 35-B33 accident near Nunn, Colorado, November 15, 2024
On November 15, 2024 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1961 Beech 35-B33, registered N285BW, was destroyed in an accident near Nunn, Colorado. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2024 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Nunn, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-B33, built 1961 · all 35-B33s on the register
- Registration
- N285BW · registry record · serial CD-400
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On November 15, 2024, about 1000 mountain standard time (MST), a Beech 35-B33, N285BW, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Nunn, Colorado. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from Chadron Municipal Airport (KCDR), Chadron, Nebraska, with an intended destination of Platte Valley Airport (18V), Hudson, Colorado; a distance of about 180 nautical miles (nm). No ADS-B, radar data, or ATC communications were obtained at the time of the on site investigation. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed along the entire route of flight. The accident site was in a farm field about 3.5 miles north-northwest of Nunn, Colorado, about 20 nm west of a direct route between the start point and intended destination. The debris field was roughly 500 ft long by 400 ft wide. The initial point of impact contained a fragment of the left wingtip fuel tank fairing. A line of disturbed dirt continued from the initial point of impact for about 25 ft to a 17-foot-long impact crater. The line of disturbed dirt continued beyond the crater another 10-15 ft. Fragments of the outboard section of left wing and other airplane components were strewn throughout the debris field leading up to the main wreckage which was located about 258 ft from the initial point of impact. All the major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. No anomalies were noted in the examined airframe components. The No. 6 cylinder separated from the engine. The interior of the No. 6 cylinder and the valve faces looked normal. The No. 2 & 4 cylinders were displaced aft and had fractured the case of the engine open. Visual examination of the interior of the engine showed no signs of thermal distress; the camshaft appeared normal; and no signs of a pre-impact failure or malfunction were noted. The crankshaft counterweights were present and moved freely. The oil sump housing was fractured and the front third of the sump housing had separated; no pre-impact anomalies were noted inside. The propeller hub remained attached to the crankshaft flange but had fragmented. Pieces of the hub and both propeller blades were present in the debris field. The propeller blades both had blade twisting, leading edge nicks and gouges, chord wise scratching, and blade polishing. Spiral cracking was noted on the engine crankshaft just aft of the propeller mounting flange. A Garmin 396 was retained for further examination. The wreckage was scheduled to be recovered and stored for further examination.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during unknown defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: CDR Chadron NE at 2:30 pm
- Destination: 18V Hudson CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 am from KGXY, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGXY 151656Z 09003KT 10SM CLR 01/M02 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP127 T00111022 FZRANO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.