Beechcraft V35 N15VM

Summary

On 21 March 2026 at about 16:35 local time, a Beechcraft V35 registered N15VM was involved in an accident near Saluda, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

21 March 2026 at 16:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Saluda, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Saluda County Airport (6J4)

Coordinates

33.9275, -81.7937

Aircraft

Beechcraft V35

Registration

N15VM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Greenwood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA154

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during an aborted landing, which resulted in a runway excursion, collision with a fence, and a hard landing .

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that after arrival to the destination airport he overflew it and entered a left downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern for landing. He configured the airplane for landing then turned onto the base and final legs of the airport traffic pattern where he lowered full flaps maintaining a crosswind correction of right wing low and left rudder input. On short final he reduced power to idle and flared either too little or too late, after which the airplane bounced. With the airplane in a slight nose-up attitude, he believed he added power too quickly but did not recall adding right rudder input. The airplane violently and abruptly turned left, after which he was partially able to recover but not before flying away from the runway and impacting a chain link fence. The airplane then landed hard in an open area on the airport resulting substantial damage to both wings and the bottom of the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded a normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.