Beech S35 accident near Pampa, Texas, November 13, 1985
On November 13, 1985 at about 1:59 am local time, a Beech S35, registered N6843Q, was destroyed in an accident near Pampa, Texas (Perry Lefors Fld airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- November 13, 1985 · about 1:59 am local time
- Place
- Pampa, Texas · Perry Lefors Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech S35 · all S35s on the register
- Registration
- N6843Q · no longer on the register · serial D-7439
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG ARRIVAL, N6843Q WAS CLEARED FOR AN NDB RWY 17 APCH. THE PLT'S LAST RADIO CALL WAS AT 1949 CST, WHEN HE ACKNOWLEGED RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED & FREQ CHG WAS APPROVED. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. AT 2335, AFTER FOG HAD LIFTED, THE ACFT WAS FND IN A PLOWED FLD APRX 1 MI NORTH OF THE RWY. AN INV REVEALED THE ACFT HAD CONTACTED THE GND IN A NOSE HI, WINGS LVL ATTITUDE WITH THE GEAR EXTENDED.INITIAL IMPACT OCCURRED (MAIN GEAR 1ST) WHILE ON A HDG OF 190 DEG, APRX 100 YDS RGT OF THE EXTENDED RWY CENTERLINE. THE NOSE GEAR THEN DUG INTO SOFT DIRT & THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER.THE AREA FORCAST HAD CALLED FOR OCNL CEILINGS BLO 1000' & VIS LESS THAN 3 MI. HOWEVER, SEARCH PSNL RPRTD THE SKY WAS OBSCD & THE VIS WAS ABOUT 1/16 MI WITH FOG. APRX 50 MI SW AT AMARILLO, TX, THE 1955 WX WAS IN PART: SKY ZERO OBSCD, VIS (RVR) 1600' WITH FOG. MINS FOR THE APCH WERE 600' CEILING & 1 MI VIS. THE PLT DID NOT REQUEST UPDATED WX INFO DRG THE FLT, NOR WAS HE GIVEN AVAILABLE UPDATED (AMA) WX INFO FOR THE AREA OF THE DESTN.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,718 hours in all; 494 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 6,190 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,866 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 6, 1985; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GBD Great Bend KS
- Destination: PPA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 5,855 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from AMA, 50 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.