Beech V-35A accident near Lusk, Wyoming, August 3, 2001
On August 3, 2001 at about 7:55 pm local time, a Beech V-35A, registered N7182N, was destroyed in an accident near Lusk, Wyoming. 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 inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with transmission wires.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2001 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Lusk, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V-35A · all V-35As on the register
- Registration
- N7182N · registry record · serial D-8699
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A Wyoming state policeman, while making a traffic stop at mile marker 157 on Highway U.S. 85, said "a small plane flew by on the east side of the road at approximately 125 to 150 feet above the ground." He said a few minutes later he received a dispatch transmission about a plane crash and subsequent grass fire on Highway U.S. 85 at mile marker 167. A witness (an experienced pilot), while in his vehicle driving north, said the airplane passed over him flying at an estimated 100 to 120 miles per hour. He said: "it was flying straight and level, and showed no signs of engine problems. I was watching this plane when all of a sudden the tail went up and the nose went down and I believed it pitched slightly to the left. It appeared to have dived at a 45-60 degree angle from my point of view." Another witness, also driving north, said the airplane flew over him at 180 to 200 feet, and was descending. He said he saw the airplane strike transmission wires at the top of the hill. The airplane's empennage was broken off with two smaller pieces separating from the main piece. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane's performance, were identified.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,106 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 7, 2002; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LSK Lusk WY at 7:45 pm
- Destination: 3V5 Fort Collins CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from DGW, 35 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.