Beech B24R accident near Ogden, Utah, December 31, 1988
On December 31, 1988 at about 10:22 pm local time, a Beech B24R, registered N65PW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ogden, Utah (Ogden Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- December 31, 1988 · about 10:22 pm local time
- Place
- Ogden, Utah · Ogden Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech B24R · all B24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N65PW · no longer on the register · serial MC-377
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT RCVD A WX BRIEFING & FILED AN IFR FLT PLN. HE TKOF ON RWY 34 AT 1517 MST WITH LOW CEILING &RESTRICTED VIS DUE TO FOG & LGT SNOW. THE TWR CTLR SAW THE ACFT LIFT-OFF AT THE RWY'S END, THEN LOST SIGHT OF IT. SOON THEREAFTER, THE PLT SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ALT & WAS RTRNG TO THE ARPT. HE WAS CLRD TO LND ON ANY RWY. DUE TO WX, TWR PSNL DIDN'T SEE THE ACFT UNTIL IT WAS ESE OF THE ARPT IN A RGT PATTERN, IT THEN DISAPPEARED FM THEIR VIEW AGAIN (IN WX) BFR CRASHING. THE PLT STATED THAT DRG TKOF, THE ENG BGN RUNNING ROUGH AT ABT 200' AGL & LOST PARTIAL PWR. HE SAID HECIRCLED BACK TO THE ARPT AT MIN SPEED, LOSING ABT 50' PER MIN, DODGING BLDGS & TREES. HE ATMTD TO LND ON RWY 34, BUT THEACFT NRLY STALLED. HE THEN ATMTD TO LND ON RWY 3, BUT THE ACFT HIT THE PERIMETER FENCE & SLID TO A STOP. NO PREIMPACT MECH PRBLM WAS FND. THE 1525 MST WX AT OGDEN WAS, IN PART: 700' OBSCURED, VIS 3/4 MI WITH FOG & LIGHT SNOW, TEMP 30, DEWPOINT 27. ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, CARB ICING CONDS PREVAILED. ARPT ELEV WAS 4470'
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: 258 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 226 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,742 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 1988; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGD at 10:17 pm
- Destination: CYS Cheyenne WY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 8,252 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:25 pm from OGD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.