Beech A36 accident near Lander, Wyoming, August 14, 2011
On August 14, 2011 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1997 Beech A36, registered N324AT, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Lander, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2011 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lander, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36, built 1997 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N324AT · no longer on the register · serial E-3071
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying under visual flight rules flight following. Recorded radar data indicated that the airplane maintained a relatively straight track to the southeast at an altitude of between 15,100 feet and 15,500 feet before descending near the area of the accident site. About 1 minute before the last recorded radar target, the pilot checked in with the controller; the airplane's altitude was 13,200 feet. The last two radar targets indicated a descending right turn. The airplane lost 700 feet in 21 seconds, and the last radar contact was at 12,100 feet. The controller noticed a loss of radar contact and attempted to contact the pilot on the radio but was unable to. The accident site was located at an elevation of 11,400 feet in mountainous terrain about 1 mile west of the last radar contact. The debris field was on a westerly heading at the bottom of a slope and extended for about 580 feet indicating controlled flight into the terrain. It could not be determined why the pilot descended or why he did not maintain sufficient clearance from mountainous terrain. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 985 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2011
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DIJ Driggs ID
- Destination: Denver CO
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KLND, 20 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.