Beech S35 accident near Dixie Valley, Nevada, February 25, 2012
On February 25, 2012 at about 1:25 pm local time, a Beech S35, registered N272D, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Dixie Valley, Nevada (Dixie Valley airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s encounter with forecast low-level windshear conditions during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of lift.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2012 · about 1:25 pm local time
- Place
- Dixie Valley, Nevada · Dixie Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech S35 · all S35s on the register
- Registration
- N272D · registry record · serial D-7463
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Earlier in the morning, the pilot arrived at the airport with two revenue passengers and encountered moderate turbulence during the landing approach, such that he canceled the first landing attempt and maneuvered the airplane for landing on the opposite runway. The subsequent landing was uneventful. Before departing on the accident flight with two other revenue passengers, the pilot checked the windsock and elected to depart on a runway away from rising terrain with a gusting 90-degree right crosswind. Just after rotation, the wind shifted to a tailwind, and the pilot felt the airplane sink. The pilot was confident that, once he descended low enough to be influenced by ground-effect conditions, he would be able to regain enough airspeed to continue the climb. Shortly thereafter, the propeller blades struck the ground, and the airplane slid to a halt in the dirt about 2,400 feet beyond the runway. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Gusting wind conditions, including moderate turbulence and low-level windshear referenced in an AIRMET (airmen's meteorological information) advisory, existed at the time of both the inbound and outbound flights. The pilot was aware of these conditions, having received both an in-flight briefing and an online briefing prior to the inbound flight. The pilot had flown this route routinely for many years and deemed the conditions typical for the area.
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
- Windshear or thunderstorm during takeoff defining event
- Loss of lift during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 1,395 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 10,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,271 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 31, 2011; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,550 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 550 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NV30 Dixie Valley NV at 1:24 pm
- Destination: KFLX Fallon NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 16, 6,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 290° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from KNFL, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N272D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.