Beech K35 accident near Valley City, North Dakota, April 6, 1992
On April 6, 1992 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Beech K35, registered N441B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valley City, North Dakota (Barnes County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL TO REMOVE THE SNOW RIDGE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1992 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Valley City, North Dakota · Barnes County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech K35 · all K35s on the register
- Registration
- N441B · no longer on the register · serial D-5943
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A RIDGE OF ICE DURING TAKEOFF ROLL. THE 6-INCH OBSTACLE WAS OBSCURED BY WINDBLOWN GRASS AND INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE SOD RUNWAY. THE ICE WAS THE COMPACTED RESIDUE OF SNOW PLOWED FROM AN INTERSECTING PAVED RUNWAY WHICH WENT UNNOTICED UNTIL THE ACCIDENT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 3,600 in this make and model; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,666 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 8, 1991; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ND34 Lisbon ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N441B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CHI92LA125.