Beech B60 accident near Rock River, Wyoming, November 29, 2008
On November 29, 2008 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Beech B60, registered N6693A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Rock River, Wyoming. It was an executive or corporate 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
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a power line due to the lack of forward visibility because of an ice-covered windshield. Contributing to the accident was the flight's encounter with icing weather conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2008 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rock River, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B60 · all B60s on the register
- Registration
- N6693A · no longer on the register · serial P-527
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during a cross-country flight conducted under instrument flight rules, he encountered clouds that contained clear ice. Ice built up rapidly on the airplane, which was in cruise flight at 16,000 feet. In an effort to get out of the icing conditions, he requested and received clearance to progressively lower altitudes down to 10,000 feet. The airplane continued to accumulate ice. He requested a turn, and this was denied by the controller as there were two other airplanes in the vicinity with similar icing problems. He then requested and received clearance to descend to 9,000 feet, where he could see portions of the ground. At this point, "both windshields were completely covered with clear ice as were the unprotected portions of the aircraft" and both engines were operating at full power. The pilot informed the controller that he needed to descend further. At an altitude of 7,500 feet, he circled several times attempting to see if he could reach an airport for landing. No ice had melted or come off the airplane, and the weather was deteriorating. The pilot decided to land on a highway. On final approach to land, the airplane collided with a power line, which severed the upper half of the rudder and vertical stabilizer. The pilot turned the airplane slightly left, and landed the airplane with the landing gear down in a terraced field next to the highway. During the landing roll, the landing gear was sheared off when the airplane encountered a ditch. The pilot stated that he had "no forward visibility due to the clear ice that completely covered the windshields."
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
What happened, in order
- Structural icing during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Ability to respond/compensate
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to structural icing › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Task environment › Physical workspace › Visibility › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 25,019 hours in all; 834 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 11,179 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 25, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,151 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Rice Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: BFF Scottsbluff NE at 2:55 pm
- Destination: SAA Saratoga WY
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from LAR, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.