Beech 35-C33 accident near Lake City, Colorado, May 31, 1992
On May 31, 1992 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech 35-C33, registered N2742T, was destroyed in an accident near Lake City, Colorado. It was a personal 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
FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1992 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lake City, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-C33 · all 35-C33s on the register
- Registration
- N2742T · registry record · serial CD-1086
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT LANDED AT FALCON, COLORADO, REFUELED, THEN TOOK OFF INTO WHAT ONE WITNESS SAID WAS MARGINAL WEATHER CONDITIONS. THREE DAYS LATER, THE AIRPLANE WAS REPORTED MISSING AND SEARCH EFFORTS WERE TO NO AVAIL. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ALMOST 2-1/2 YEARS LATER. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INDICATED THAT IT CRASHED WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED; EXCEPT FOR DEBRIS FOUND NEXT TO THE AIRCRAFT, THERE WERE NO GROUND SCARS OR EVIDENCE OF LATERAL MOVEMENT. SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT REVEALED CLOUD COVER AT BOTH DEPARTURE POINT AND ACCIDENT SITE. RADAR SUMMARY CHARTS SHOWED A BAND OF LEVEL 1, 3, AND 5 THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO. CONVECTIVE SIGMETS WERE IN EFFECT, AND AN AIRMET WARNED OF INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, AND ICING. THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE PILOT OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING.
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: 1,240 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,050 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00V Falcon CO at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.