Beech D55 accident near Hailey, Idaho, July 14, 2017
On July 14, 2017 at about 2:15 am local time, a 1969 Beech D55, registered N1796A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Hailey, Idaho (Friedman Memorial airport). It was a personal 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 loss of directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2017 · about 2:15 am local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Hailey, Idaho · Friedman Memorial · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D55, built 1969 · all D55s on the register
- Registration
- N1796A · no longer on the register · serial TE-753
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the multi-engine airplane's engines were "not synched up" during the landing flare and the airplane began to drift to the right side of the runway. The airplane's airspeed began to decay, and the pilot applied left throttle and pitched the airplane's nose down to correct. The airplane subsequently yawed to the right, the right-wing tip impacted the ground, and the airplane landed sideways, collapsing the landing gear and resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems that would have precluded normal operation and that he should have initiated a go-around upon first noticing the unequal engine power.
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
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the engine
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 463.4 hours in all; 9 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 15, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,993 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 2017; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental Motors Inc. IO-520-C (piston); 2,732 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental Motors Inc. IO-520-C (piston); 2,732 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AOC Arco ID
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 31, 7,550 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 2:14 am from KSUN
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 NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1796A: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Beechcraft D55 119 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental Motors Inc. IO-520-C 4 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Continental Motors Inc. IO-520-C 4 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Friedman Memorial · nearest airport
- Arco-Butte County · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Idaho 1,535 since 1982 · 288 in the last ten years
- Idaho 4,199 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR17LA154.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.