Beech B-35 accident near Death Valley, California, January 7, 1985
On January 7, 1985 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Beech B-35, registered N8889A, was destroyed in an accident near Death Valley, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were 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
- January 7, 1985 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Death Valley, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech B-35 · all B-35s on the register
- Registration
- N8889A · no longer on the register · serial D-2544
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT GOT AN EXTENDED WX FCST THE DAY PRIOR TO DEPARTURE WHICH INDICATED BKN TO OVC CLOUDS BASED AT ABOUT 8,000 FT FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE TRIP & SCT TO BKN CLOUDS FOR THE LAST HALF. MOUNTAIN AREAS WERE PREDICTED TO BE OBSCURED. PLT WAS ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN THE MORNING FOR A DETAILED UPDATE, HOWEVER, NO RECORD OF ANY CONTACT WAS FOUND. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED & THE ACFT DEPARTED AT ABOUT 0900 HRS ON AN UNKNOWN ROUTE FOR THE DESTINATION. THE ACFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED BY ELT SIGNAL & SEARCH ACFT AT 6,200 FT MSL ON A MOUNTAIN SIDE AT THE END OF A BOX CANYON. A WITNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANYON (ABOUT 4,000 FT MSL) REPORTED VISIBILITY 100 FT IN FOG & RAIN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WX CONDITIONS ALONG THE GENERAL ROUTE OF FLT WERE WORSE THAN THE FCST PLT RECEIVED THE DAY PRIOR, WITH CEILINGS IN 3,000 FT RANGE & TOPS TO 22,000. DESTINATION APRT WAS ONE-QUARTER MILE IN SNOW AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WX CONDITIONS ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT WERE ACCURATELY REPORTED IN WX INFO AVAILABLE TO THE PLT
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: 400 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,467 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 7, 1984; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Corona Aircraft INC.
The flight
- Departed from: L66 Corona CA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 043 Carson City NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.