Beech V35 accident near Sparta, Michigan, February 18, 2003
On February 18, 2003 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Beech V35, registered N9439S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparta, Michigan (Sparta 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots improper decision to fly into known adverse weather, and his failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A contributing factor was airframe icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 2003 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sparta, Michigan · Sparta 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
- N9439S · registry record · serial D-8025
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed hard and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane subsequently impacted a snow bank. The pilot stated he received two preflight weather briefings and decided to make the flight under visual flight rules due to reports of icing conditions in the clouds. He indicated he experienced freezing rain during cruise. The stated that he requested and received an instrument flight rules clearance and climbed above the clouds. He stated that he used a VOR approach for landing and did not experience any icing while on approach. The pilot indicated he lowered the flaps and the aircraft began to descend rapidly, subsequently impacting the runway and collapsing the left main landing gear. A witness reported the aircraft had 1/2 to 3/4 inch of ice on the leading edge of the tail and wings. The weather observation facility 18 miles to the southeast, reported the weather about the time of the accident as: winds 200 degrees magnetic at 8 knots; visibility 2 statute miles with freezing drizzle; sky condition overcast 500 feet above ground level; temperature -3 degrees Celsius; dew point -4 degrees Celsius; pressure 29.98 inches of mercury.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 460 hours in all; 297 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 460 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,330 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2002; 85.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Pontiac MI at 2:00 pm
- Destination: 8D4 Sparta MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 2,925 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from GRR, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 CHI03LA072.