Beech V35B accident near Hesperia, California, April 26, 1992
On April 26, 1992 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech V35B, registered N14WK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hesperia, California (Herperia airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE EXISTING WIND CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE DOWNDRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 1992 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hesperia, California · Herperia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N14WK · registry record · serial D9633
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT. THE PILOT DELAYED IN CORRECTING FOR THIS CONDITION AND LANDED HARD. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SKID TO THE LEFT AND COLLIDE WITH THE VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATOR LIGHT.
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: 531 hours in all; 160 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 510 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 20, 1991; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA10 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sun Valley AZ at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,910 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
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 LAX92LA191.