Beech V35B accident near Elko, Nevada, September 8, 2012
On September 8, 2012 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Beech V35B, registered N1129T, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Elko, Nevada (Elko Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear during the aborted takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to perform a thorough preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2012 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Elko, Nevada · Elko Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1129T · registry record · serial D-9867
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just retracted the landing gear after takeoff when he was advised by a passenger that fuel was streaming from one of the fuel tank caps. After confirming that fuel was leaking, the pilot decided to abort the takeoff and land straight ahead. Although he was able to land on the remaining runway, the pilot forgot to extend the landing gear before the airplane touched down, and the airplane’s bulkhead was damaged. The pilot stated that he had not ensured that the fuel caps were secured and that he should have done a final walk-around before taking off to make sure everything was in order. The pilot reported that there was no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure 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
- Landing gear not configured during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,923 hours in all; 1,645 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 18, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KEKO Elko NV at 4:29 pm
- Destination: KEKO Elko NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 7,214 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 WPR12CA415.