Beech B35 accident near Halfway, Oregon, August 11, 2002
On August 11, 2002 at about 2:00 am local time, a Beech B35, registered N5029C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Halfway, Oregon (Pine Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delay in initiating an aborted takeoff and his failure to establish climb out of ground effect. Contributing factors were the high aircraft weight and high density altitude as well as the fence and berm, which the aircraft struck.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2002 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Halfway, Oregon · Pine Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B35 · all B35s on the register
- Registration
- N5029C · no longer on the register · serial D-2291
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the Beech B35 attempted takeoff from a west-oriented 2,000-foot dirt/gravel airstrip with four passengers (estimated total occupant weight 755 pounds) with a 2/3 to 3/4 fuel load (as much as 176 pounds). The occupant and fuel weight along with the aircraft's empty weight placed the aircraft close to it's maximum gross takeoff weight, and the weight of the occupants personal effects/baggage was not known. The pilot reported that during the takeoff and while in ground effect the wind reversed to a tailwind and he set the plane down and began applying brakes. The aircraft left the runway, passed through a wire fence, and then rolled into a slight embankment up to a paved road during which the landing gear collapsed. Local law enforcement personnel reported that the pilot stated that the aircraft was too heavy on takeoff. The pilot reported the temperature at the 2,577 foot high airstrip was approximately 90 degrees F., and the density altitude was estimated at 5,000 feet. Surface winds at a reporting station 31 nautical miles west-southwest reported winds out of the northwest ranging from 10 to 16 knots during the period one hour before through one hour after 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,097 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OR70 Halfway OR at 2:00 am
- Destination: BOI Boise ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,000 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 16 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from BKE, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.