Beech V35B accident near Nogales, Arizona, October 20, 2022
On October 20, 2022 at about 7:58 pm local time, a 1978 Beech V35B, registered N50JM, was destroyed in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Nogales, Arizona (Nogales Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to establish a positive rate of climb before retracting the landing gear when he executed an aborted landing, which resulted in a propeller strike, diminished climb performance, and the inadvertent contact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 2022 · about 7:58 pm local time
- Place
- Nogales, Arizona · Nogales Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B, built 1978 · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N50JM · registry record · serial D-10141
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his wife were at the conclusion of a cross-country flight. The pilot reported that he completed a normal approach and during touchdown the airplane veered to the left. After he was unsuccessful in his attempt to align the airplane with the runway using control inputs, the pilot elected to abort the landing, at which time he added full power and retracted the landing gear. The propeller subsequently struck the runway before the airplane started to climb. The pilot circled around the airport and the airplane impacted the ground about 0.5 nm north of the approach end of his landing runway. A postcrash fire ensued and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s flight control system did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Propeller strikes near the approach end of the runway indicate that the pilot retracted the landing gear before establishing a positive rate of climb during the aborted landing, which resulted in the propeller contacting the runway. As there was no evidence of a preimpact mechanical anomaly with the engine, it is likely that the airplane’s subsequent degraded performance during the aborted landing was the result of the propeller strike.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
- Explosion (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Attain/maintain not possible
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,420 hours in all; 962 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 10, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,638.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Ram IO-550-B-RA (piston); 650 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KDNA Santa Teresa NM at 6:00 pm
- Destination: KOLS Nogales AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 03/2, 7,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from KFHU, 28 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KFHU 201955Z AUTO 12008KT 10SM CLR 24/05 A3017
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on May 2, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Party Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Video File | video | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Wreckage Exam Report | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Engine Exam | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Wreckage Release | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.