Beechcraft B35 N5204C

Summary

On 24 July 2025 at about 03:45 local time, a Beechcraft B35 registered N5204C, operated by Peace Sign LLC, was involved in an accident near Helena, Montana, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 July 2025 at 03:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Helena, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Helena Rgnl (HLN)

Coordinates

46.6015, -111.9806

Aircraft

Beechcraft B35

Registration

N5204C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1950

Engines

1

Operator

Peace Sign LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Great Falls → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

WPR25LA221

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to properly configure the airplane during a go-around which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall at a low altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was returning to his home airport and approached the airport from the north. He was initially cleared to land runway 27 but requested to land runway 17 because he was conveniently aligned with it. When about five miles from the airport he slowed the airplane, lowered the landing gear, and “pulled the throttle all the way back.” He stated that he did not recall “raising the propeller speed.” He further stated that he was too high, and extended the flaps to full down, which was something he normally did not do. During the landing flare, he waited for the airplane to settle onto the runway. He realized that the airplane had not touched down as it passed the midpoint of the 2,989 ft long runway and initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the pilot initially thought he had pushed the throttle control full forward, but when “nothing happened,” he looked down and realized he had pushed the mixture control forward. He added throttle and felt the airplane pick up speed. The pilot recalled that he pulled the yoke back to clear the airport perimeter fence and felt the airplane climb. The pilot stated that he had a positive rate of climb and thought he was high enough to begin a left turn and considered raising the flaps and contacting the tower when the airplane impacted the ground and slid into a building. A security video captured the airplane in a wings level attitude beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane appeared to reach a height of about 20 ft above ground level before the left wing dropped and the airplane descended. Subsequently, it impacted a road and slid into a building, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. Postaccident pictures of the airplane showed that the landing gear was extended and the flaps were retracted. The throttle control was pulled out about ½-inch, and the mixture control was about 1 ½-inch from full forward. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.