Beech B35 accident near French Lick, Indiana, August 28, 2022
On August 28, 2022, a 1950 Beech B35, registered N8741A, was destroyed in an accident during landing (landing roll) near French Lick, Indiana (French Lick Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to make a stabilized approach, which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2022
- Place
- French Lick, Indiana · French Lick Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B35, built 1950 · all B35s on the register
- Registration
- N8741A · no longer on the register · serial D-2254
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning to his home airport at the conclusion of a cross-country flight and was attempting to make a visual approach to land at night. A review of radar data revealed the airplane overflew the airport about 500 ft above the ground before making a sweeping, descending left turn onto final approach before the data ended 0.2 miles from the end of the runway. At that time, the airplane was traveling at a groundspeed of about 86 knots at an altitude of about 33 ft above ground level (agl). Airport surveillance video captured the airplane on landing rollout. The airplane was observed departing the left side of the runway before it started a climb and impacted trees. Postaccident examination of the airplane and the engine revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical deficiencies or malfunctions that precluded normal operation. The pilot’s autopsy examination and postaccident toxicological findings did not reveal any medical factors that would have resulted in the pilot becoming suddenly impaired or incapacitated. Based on the available radar data, the pilot had not stabilized the airplane during the approach to the runway and was at a critically low altitude when the airplane was .2 miles from the end of the runway. Surveillance video also suggested the airplane was not stabilized after it touched down. Visible tire marks on the runway confirmed that it departed the left side of the runway during the landing rollout. The pilot may have attempted to regain control of the airplane after the unstabilized approach, touchdown, and runway excursion by attempting to abort the landing; however, the airplane subsequently collided with trees. Based on this information it is likely that the pilot performed an un stabilized approach that resulted in a loss of directional control during landing, ultimately resulting in a runway excursion and collision with trees.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,202 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 10, 2020
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185 (piston); 3,325 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 6LL6 New Memphis IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from HNB, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KHNB 280156Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 25/22 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP141 T02500222
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on March 20, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | ADS-B Tabular Data | spreadsheet | Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Video File - Airport Surveillance Video | AVI file | Download |
| 5 | NTSB - Wreckage Examination Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Medical Factual | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA22FA386.