Beech V35B accident near Green River, Utah, February 26, 2001
On February 26, 2001 at about 9:29 pm local time, a Beech V35B, registered N4637M, was destroyed in an accident near Green River, Utah. 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 failure to maintain aircraft control as a result of incapacitation (from hypoxia) due to the in-flight decision to fly at altitudes where oxygen is required, without oxygen available.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 2001 · about 9:29 pm local time
- Place
- Green River, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4637M · no longer on the register · serial D-10147
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been skiing in the Rocky Mountains (elevation 8,900 feet) for a week. He departed in his non-pressurized single-engine airplane and climbed up to 21,600 feet; he had no supplemental oxygen onboard. Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes into the flight, the airplane reached a maximum altitude of 22,100 feet before entering a rapid descent. The airplane impacted mountainous terrain in an uncontrolled spin. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of any pre-impact discrepancies. The Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) functioned properly, and the airplane was located by the Civil Air Patrol the following day.
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
- Flight time: 2,150 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 10, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,473 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2000; 115 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GUC Gunnison CO at 7:30 pm
- Destination: FAT Fresno CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; ovct at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from U34, 20 miles away
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.
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.