Beech B24R accident near Tonopah, Nevada, June 17, 2007
On June 17, 2007 at about 8:54 pm local time, a Beech B24R, registered N6511R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tonopah, Nevada (Tonopah airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall during the takeoff initial climb. The pilot's diverted attention to an open door, high density altitude, and wind gusts were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2007 · about 8:54 pm local time
- Place
- Tonopah, Nevada · Tonopah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B24R · all B24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N6511R · no longer on the register · serial MC-280
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff initial climb, at approximately 30 feet above ground level and halfway down the runway, the pilot initiated the landing gear retraction. The landing gear legs retracted at different rates, inducing "momentary, but noticeable yaw." Simultaneously with the induced yaw, the pilot side cabin door opened approximately 3 to 4 inches and the pilot felt "a loss of lift" in the aircraft. The aircraft rolled to a right bank of 30 degrees and a nose down attitude of 20 degrees. The pilot attempted to correct for the roll and pitch, but did not have sufficient altitude. The aircraft impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude approximately 300 feet to the right of the runway. Winds reported at the airport at the time of the accident were from 290 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The density altitude at the time of the accident was 8,400 feet. Post accident inspections by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed nothing remarkable with the aircraft. Both sets of the left and right door latches were found to operate freely and retracted fully when using the internal and external door handles. In 1990, Beechcraft Aircraft Corporation issued a Safety Communique concerning cabin door operation/openings. The Communique states that an open cabin door does not change an airplane's flight characteristics. However, it does state that an aircraft's climb performance can be decreased up to 130 feet per minute from handbook values, and that the decrease in climb performance can be more significant at high density altitudes.
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, flight engineer, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,125 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 67 in the last 30 days; 1,510 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,335 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPH Tonopah NV at 8:54 pm
- Destination: CDC Cedar City UT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 33, 7,057 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 13 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from TPH, 1 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 SEA07LA163.