Beechcraft G35 N32TS

Summary

On 9 January 1995 at about 22:50 local time, a Beechcraft G35 registered N32TS was involved in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 January 1995 at 22:50

Classification

Accident

Location

West Palm Beach, Florida, United States

Coordinates

26.6500, -80.2504

Aircraft

Beechcraft G35

Registration

N32TS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pahokee → Wellington

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

NYC95FA049

1 person died.

Improper top overhaul by maintenance personnel, and improperly torqued crackcase thru-bolts and cylinder deck studs at the number one cylinder, which led to fatigue failure of four of the bolts, failure and/or separation of the number one cylinder, and a subsequent fire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was seen flying erratically, in a rapid descent, with smoke coming from the engine compartment and flames coming from the airplane's right side. Subsequently, the airplane crashed/landed and burned. An investigation revealed that the #1 cylinder had separated from the engine. Examination of the #1 cylinder revealed the upper crankcase thru-bolt at the 10 o'clock position had failed in fatigue below the cylinder deck surface. The lower thru-bolt at the cylinder pad's 8 o'clock position was intact; however, the nut was missing and the threads were battered and polished. The cylinder had 6 deck studs in addition to the thru-bolts. The studs at the 11 and 1 o'clock positions were missing; the studs at the 5 and 7 o'clock positions failed in fatigue; and the studs at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions were fractured with the fractured ends battered. Also, a silicon sealant (RTV) had been used on the thru-bolt threads, though not recommended by the manufacturer. The remaining thru-bolts were examined for tightness using a torque wrench; all were found undertorqued. During a top overhaul of the engine, about 85 flight hours before the accident, all of the cylinders had been removed and reinstalled.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.