Beech 36 accident near Elko, Nevada, April 22, 1985
On April 22, 1985 at about 5:37 am local time, a Beech 36, registered N7514N, was destroyed in an accident near Elko, 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).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1985 · about 5:37 am local time
- Place
- Elko, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 36 · all 36s on the register
- Registration
- N7514N · registry record · serial E-48
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ELKO DME (LOCATED AT THE ARPT, USED FOR THE LDA/DME APCH, 108.5 MHZ) WAS INOP. DRG ARRIVAL, THE PLT EXPRESSED MISTRUST OF HIS DME. APRX 24 MI SSE OF BULLION (BQU) VOR, ARTCC CONTROLLER (CTLR) CLRD N7514N FOR 'THE APCH TO THE ELKO ARPT.' SECONDS LATER, THE PLT SAID HE WAS IN A DWNDFT, DIDN'T HAVE DME TO THE ELKO VOR & ASKED IF HE WAS CLR OF THE RUBY MTNS. CTLR ADVISED, THE ACFT WAS STILL 24 MI SOUTH (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN OVR MTNS). APRX 90 SEC LATER, THE CTLR ADVISED DME WAS OUT OF SVC & THE PLT WAS CLRD FOR VOR-A APCH. PLT ACKNOWLEDGED. AT THAT TIME, THE ACFT TURNED SOUTH W/O CLNC, THEN CONTD TURNING BACK NORTH. CTLR TRIED TO CONTACT THE PLT ABOUT THE DEVIATION, BUT THE PLT HAD CHANGED TO FSS FREQ W/O CLNC. THE ARTCC CTLR NOTED DSCNDG FLT OVR MOUTAINOUS TERRAIN, CONTACTED THE FSS & LEARNED THE PLT WAS ON THE FSS FREQ. HE RELAYED AN ADVISORY OF THE ACFT'S PSN, BUT DID NOT GIVE SPECIFIC INSTNS FOR IMMEDIATE CLIMB. ACFT CRASHED IN MTNS, ELEV 10,200', APRX 19 MI SSE OF THE ARPT. MTNS WERE OBSCD BY CLDS. PLT HAD RECD AN INSTRUMENT RATING ON 3/13/85.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 975 hours in all; 574 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 848 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,358 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1984; 107 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDL Scottsdale AZ at 2:15 am
- Destination: EKO Elko NV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 am from EKO, 24 miles away
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 N7514N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.