Beech J35 accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, January 29, 1985
On January 29, 1985 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Beech J35, registered N615Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake (Bountiful) 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 1985 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · Salt Lake (Bountiful) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech J35 · all J35s on the register
- Registration
- N615Q · registry record · serial D-5443
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. HE STATED THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING LANDING. INVESTIGATION REVEALED GEAR DOOR DAMAGE (GEAR INTRANSIT) AND LDG GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS 'POPPED.' POST ACCIDENT EXAM OF THE GEAR SYSTEM FAILED TO REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE/ MALFUNCTION WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NORMAL OPERATION OF THE LANDING GEAR.
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
- Flight time: 1,676 hours in all; 1,676 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,295 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U42 Salt Lake City UT at 8:25 pm
- Destination: BTF Bountiful UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,700 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.