Beech D50A accident near Ely, Nevada, October 29, 1992
On October 29, 1992 at about 5:54 pm local time, a Beech D50A, registered N102F, was destroyed in an accident near Ely, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
1) THE PILOTS DECISION TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WHICH INCLUDED MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT AND SEVERE MIXED ICING, AND, 2) HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO A PROBABLE AERODYNAMIC STALL INDUCED BY SEVERE AIRFRAME ICING. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE FORECAST WEATHER CONDITIONS OF ICING, LOW CLOUD CEILINGS AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, AND 2) THE PILOTS FAILURE TO OBTAIN EITHER PREFLIGHT OR INFLIGHT WEATHER INFORMATION FOR HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1992 · about 5:54 pm local time
- Place
- Ely, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech D50A · all D50As on the register
- Registration
- N102F · no longer on the register · serial DH-173
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR IDAHO. EN ROUTE THEY STOPPED ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LAS VEGAS WHERE THERE WAS A DIRT LANDING STRIP. THE NEXT MORNING A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE DEPART AT ABOUT 0800 HOURS. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED NOR ANY RECORD OF EITHER A PREFLIGHT OR INFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING. THE AIRPLANE NEVER ARRIVED AT THE DESTINATION. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED BY A NEVADA FISH AND GAME HELICOPTER ABOUT 21 DAYS AFTER IT HAD DISAPPEARED. THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED A MOUNTAIN AT ABOUT 8300 FEET MSL, IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE AT GREAT SPEED. WEATHER DATA REVEALED THAT IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT THE CEILING WAS OVERCAST AT 2700 FEET AGL, WITH TOPS FROM 17000 TO 19000 FEET MSL AND SEVERE MIXED ICING WAS PRESENT ABOVE THE 9,500 FOOT MSL FREEZING LEVEL. THE AIRPLANE HAD NO DEICE OR ANTIICE EQUIPMENT, THE OXYGEN SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 10 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,575 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 7,300 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGSO-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0L7 Jean NV at 4:00 pm
- Destination: S67 Nampa ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,700 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from ELY, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX93FA045.