No fatalities

Crosswind Landing Leads to Runway Excursion and Post-Crash Fire

Hailey, ID, United States

On September 13, 2009, a BEECH V35 was involved in an aviation accident near Hailey, ID. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing in crosswind conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During landing roll on runway 31, a crosswind caused loss of directional control. The airplane departed the runway, the nose wheel collapsed, and a post-crash fire erupted in the engine compartment, damaging the firewall.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that during the landing roll on runway 31, the airplane encountered a crosswind. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane departed the runway surface. Following the excursion, the nose wheel collapsed, and a post-crash fire erupted in the engine compartment.

Damage Assessment

Inspection of the airplane revealed that the firewall sustained substantial damage.

Weather Conditions

The reported winds at the time of the accident were 190 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 18 knots.

Pilot Statement

The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.

Contributing factors

Response/compensationDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot