Beech V35B accident near Saguache, Colorado, September 4, 1997
On September 4, 1997, a Beech V35B, registered N7397R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saguache, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
**This report was modified on 2/23/2016. Please see the public docket for this accident for additional information.** the loss of engine power during cruise for undetermined reasons and the unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot during the forced landing. The fence and irrigation ditch were factors in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 1997
- Place
- Saguache, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7397R · registry record · serial D9654
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
**This report was modified on 2/23/2016. Please see the public docket for this accident for additional information.** After 6 hours of flight cross-country from San Rafael, California, to Denver, Colorado, the engine lost power, and the pilot conducted an emergency landing in a field after attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a fence and an irrigation ditch, damaging both wings and causing fuel to spill from tanks in both wings. The local fire chief stated that firefighters recovered more than 25 gallons of fuel during cleanup operations. The airplane, equipped with auxiliary long-range tip tanks, departed with 114 gallons on board. Based on standard-day values, performance calculations indicated that the airplane had burned about 84 gallons in 6 hours of cruise. Takeoff and climb would have increased the amount of fuel used.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,395 hours in all; 1,041 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,395 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1997; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-550-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CA35 San Rafael CA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: APA Englewood CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from ALS, 30 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.