Beech A24R accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, March 18, 1988
On March 18, 1988 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Beech A24R, registered N8307R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada (N. Las Vegas Air Terminal 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).
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
- March 18, 1988 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · N. Las Vegas Air Terminal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A24R · all A24Rs on the register
- Registration
- N8307R · registry record · serial MC-32
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CLIMB TO CRUISE THE AIRCRAFT'S DOOR OPENED. THE PILOT THEN DIVERTED TO A NEARBY AIRPORT FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. DURING LANDING THE PILOT HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT DURING LANDING ROLL WITH MOST OF THE STABILIZER SEPARATING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. NO PRE-EXISTING PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND WITH THE DOOR.
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: 280 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 156 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,981 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 3, 1987; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV
- Destination: SBP San Luis Obispo CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,005 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from LAS, 6 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N8307R 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.