Beech N35 accident near Ennis, Montana, August 31, 2023
On August 31, 2023 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1960 Beech N35, registered N92NJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Ennis, Montana (Ennis Big Sky 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 failure to extend the landing gear before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2023 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ennis, Montana · Ennis Big Sky Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech N35, built 1960 · all N35s on the register
- Registration
- N92NJ · registry record · serial D-6604
- 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 during the landing approach he forgot to extend the airplane’s landing gear. The airplane subsequently touched down on the runway and the fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane 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 landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 504 hours in all; 391 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 504 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 17, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,615.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 3,125 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-529 BA (piston); 66,271 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTTD Portland OR at 6:00 pm
- Destination: KEKS Ennis MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 7,600 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Observation at 7:53 am from KDLN, 38 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDLN 311353Z AUTO 20011KT 10SM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 4, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.