Beech S35 accident near Tucson, Arizona, March 31, 1987
On March 31, 1987 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Beech S35, registered N13W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson Int'L airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1987 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech S35 · all S35s on the register
- Registration
- N13W · registry record · serial D7888
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT DOOR CAME OPEN DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF BECAUSE IT WAS NOT PROPERLY CLOSED AND LOCKED. THE PILOT RAISED THE LANDING GEAR. THEREAFTER, BECAUSE OF SLOW ACCELERATION, HE ELECTED TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. HE MOVED THE LANDING GEAR LEVER TO THE DOWN POSITION BUT WAS UNABLE TO HOLD OFF LONG ENOUGH FOR THE GEAR TO EXTEND FULLY INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 6,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ABI Abilene TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 11R, 9,129 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:17 pm from TUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N13W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 LAX87LA164.