Beech 58 accident near Pierce, Idaho, July 8, 1992
On July 8, 1992 at about 4:33 pm local time, a Beech 58, registered N23LB, was destroyed in an accident near Pierce, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL WHEN AIRCRAFT CONTROL WAS NOT MAINTAINED. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1992 · about 4:33 pm local time
- Place
- Pierce, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N23LB · registry record · serial TH-837
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND WAS INFORMED OF MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT, RAIN SHOWERS, AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE AREA OF THE FLIGHT PATH. THE PILOT HAD FILED THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT DIRECT FROM BOISE, ID, TO MCCALL, ID, TO THOMPSON FALLS, MT, TO KALISPELL, MT. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES EAST OF THE DIRECT LINE OF FLIGHT PATH IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. RADAR DATA IDENTIFIES THE FLIGHT AS MANEUVERING ON VARIOUS HEADINGS BEFORE THE FLIGHT DROPPED FROM RADAR CONTACT. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND CONFINED TO A DEEP CRATER WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE AT THE CRATER'S DEEPEST POINT. IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN IN AN APPROXIMATE 70 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE FOUND TO INDICATE A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,416 hours in all; 123 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,190 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1992; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BOI Boise ID at 3:20 pm
- Destination: FCA Kalispell MT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.