Beech S35 accident near Longmont, Colorado, September 17, 2000
On September 17, 2000 at about 5:51 pm local time, a Beech S35, registered N711HZ, was destroyed in an accident near Longmont, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot/passenger's failure to maintain aircraft control, and the pilot in command's inadequate supervision of the flight. A factor was the pilot/passenger's lack of experience in aircraft type.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2000 · about 5:51 pm local time
- Place
- Longmont, Colorado
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech S35 · all S35s on the register
- Registration
- N711HZ · no longer on the register · serial D-7699
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses described the airplane as 'attempting a full throttle climb' at 'low altitude' before rolling inverted and descending in a near vertical attitude. The two pilots were brothers and both were retired airline pilots. The left seat pilot owned a share in the airplane and had logged 50 hours in make/model. The right seat pilot had flown light aircraft previously, but had never flown the Beech S35. Wreckage examination disclosed the landing gear was up and the flaps were fully deployed. The throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were full forward. The throwover control wheel was in the right position. According to pilots familiar with the S35 Bonanza, it has conventional flight and stall characteristics in uncoordinated flight or in a cross-controlled stall. Chapter 5-2 of FAA's 'Airplane Flying Handbook' (FAA-H-8033-3) states: 'In a cross-control stall, the airplane often stalls with little warning. The nose may pitch down, the inside wing may suddenly drop, and the airplane may continue to roll to an inverted position. This is usually the beginning of a spin. It is obvious that close to the ground is no place to allow this to happen. Recovery must be made before the airplane enters an abnormal attitude (vertical spiral or spin); it is a simple matter to return to straight-and-level flight by coordinated use of the controls. The pilot must be able to recognize when this stall is imminent and must take immediate action to prevent a completely stalled condition. It is imperative that this type of stall not occur during an actual approach to a landing, since recovery may be impossible prior to ground contact due to the low altitude.'
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,200 hours in all; 200 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,651 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 1V5 Boulder CO at 5:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from BJC, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.