Aero Commander 112 accident near Boulder City, Nevada, June 4, 1989
On June 4, 1989 at about 2:33 am local time, a Aero Commander 112, registered N1068J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder City, Nevada (Boulder airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
POOR JUDGEMENT OF THE PILOT BY FLYING, WHILE IMPAIRED FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL, AND HIS DELAY IN INITIATING A GO-AROUND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. RELATED FACTORS WERE: LIGHT CONDITIONS AT DUSK, UNFAVORABLE WINDS, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT WHILE LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 1989 · about 2:33 am local time
- Place
- Boulder City, Nevada · Boulder · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 112 · all 112s on the register
- Registration
- N1068J · no longer on the register · serial 136
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, WHEN HE WAS FLARING TO LAND ON RWY 3 AT DUSK, A GUST OF WIND BLEW THE ACFT TO THE RIGHT. HE SAID HE APPLIED POWER TO GO AROUND, BUT WAS TOO LOW & SLOW TO REGAIN ALTITUDE. SUBSEQUENTLY, A WINGTIP CONTACTED THE GROUND, SWINGING THE ACFT AROUND, & IT CRASH LANDED. THE PLT RPRTD THE PREVAILING WIND WAS FROM THE NORTH AT 8 KTS. AUTHORITIES, WHO ARRIVED AFTER THE ACCIDENT, RPRTD THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT 15 TO 25 KTS. A POLICE OFFICER, WHO WAS THE 1ST TO ARRIVE, NOTED A STRONG ODOR OF ALCOHOL FROM THE PLT & THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO WALK NORMALLY (WITHOUT STAGGERING), ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT INJURED. OTHER OFFICIALS CORROBORATED THE POLICE OFFICER'S OBSERVATION. THE PLT REFUSED TO TAKE A BREATHALYZER TEST.
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: 1,600 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,750 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 125 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 2,965 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.