LAX06LA249

Factual narrative

On July 28, 2006, about 1527 Pacific daylight time, a Beech V35B, N346D, collided with terrain near Independence, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The cross-country personal flight departed Independence about 1520, with a planned destination of Madera Municipal Airport, Madera, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. While en route from Las Vegas to San Francisco, the pilot experienced a loss of electrical power and landed at Independence. After charging the airplane’s battery, the pilot departed for Madera, where repairs to the electrical system could be made. While climbing over the lee side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 8 miles west of Independence, the pilot encountered a mountain wave activity and was unable to climb. The airplane was in a box canyon, and she had no room to turn toward lower terrain. The pilot landed the airplane in a clearing near a road about 50 miles per hour. The airplane sustained substantial damage in the rough terrain. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The airplane collided with terrain in a box canyon during the en route climb. The planned route of flight was westbound over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The pilot indicated that downdrafts from a mountain wave prevented the airplane from climbing. The airplane was in a box canyon, and she had no room to turn toward lower terrain. The pilot landed the airplane in a clearing near a road. The airplane sustained substantial damage in the rough terrain. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12