Beechcraft P35 N8690M

Summary

On 1 July 2006 at about 18:40 local time, a Beechcraft P35 registered N8690M was involved in an accident near Gustavus, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 July 2006 at 18:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Gustavus, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

58.6386, -137.6628

Aircraft

Beechcraft P35

Registration

N8690M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Juneau → Yakutat

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC06LA084

Nobody was injured.

The fracture of an engine connecting rod during cruise flight, which resulted in a forced landing on a beach, a collapsed nose landing gear, and substantial damage to the fuselage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot was in cruise flight about 2,000 feet above the ground (agl) on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, cross-country personal flight. He began to smell, and then see, what appeared to be smoke emanating from the engine, which subsequently lost power. He lowered the flaps and landing gear and performed an emergency landing on a beach. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed. The pilot reported that while waiting for rescue, he discovered that the number four cylinder connecting rod had fractured, and was protruding through the top of the engine case. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the number 4 connecting rod was fractured at the base of the rod beam. Fragments of the rod cap, the rod bearing, and the connecting rod bolts had thermal and mechanical damage. The rod cap bolts were necked down at the point of fracture. Fragments of the rod bearing were located in the engine oil sump. The engine had accrued 1,482 hours since its last overhaul in 1970, and 9 hours since its last annual inspection on June, 24, 2006. The engine manufacturer's recommended Time Between Engine Overhaul (TBO) for the accident engine is 1,500 hours, or every 12 years.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.