Beech D35 accident near Yellow Pine, Idaho, July 23, 1996
On July 23, 1996 at about 2:00 am local time, a Beech D35, registered N2161D, was destroyed in an accident near Yellow Pine, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering in mountainous terrain, which resulted in a stall/spin and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1996 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Yellow Pine, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D35 · all D35s on the register
- Registration
- N2161D · registry record · serial D-3508
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed from a remote mountain airstrip along with the pilots of two other airplanes. Clear, calm, daylight conditions prevailed. The airplanes flew in the vicinity of one-another about 9,200 feet msl. The accident pilot then radioed that he was going to turn to the right, and he disappeared from view. He then radioed that he was going to change frequencies to the destination airport. The airplane never arrived at its destination, and was reported missing. It was found, intact and burned, five days later in a remote valley about 9 miles north of the destination airport at an elevation of about 8,400 feet msl. The pilot had reported no problems with the airplane either before or during the flight. Evidence was found that indicated the airplane had impacted in a flat spin, while power was applied to the engine. No preimpact mechanical deficiencies were found. The 80-year-old pilot was familiar with the airplane and the terrain. He had not reported any problems with his health, and no history of cardiovascular disease was found.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185-11 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: U79 Chamberlain ID at 1:50 am
- Destination: 3U2 Yellow Pine ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 SEA96FA168.