Beechcraft S35 N80YD

Summary

On 7 December 2021 at about 12:57 local time, a Beechcraft S35 registered N80YD, operated by James Hunt / AeroMed Transport Co, was involved in an accident near Tallahassee, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one 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

7 December 2021 at 12:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Tallahassee, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Tallahassee Intl (TLH)

Coordinates

30.3725, -84.2295

Aircraft

Beechcraft S35

Registration

N80YD

Category

Airplane

Year built

1964

Engines

1

Operator

James Hunt / AeroMed Transport Co

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St Petersburg → Columbus

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA082

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power due to a lack of oil lubrication.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during a cross-country flight under instrument flight rules, he smelled burning oil. The engine oil pressure decreased to zero and the pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control. While diverting to a nearby airport, smoke began to enter the cabin before the engine lost all power. The airplane descended through the clouds and the pilot attempted to perform a forced landing to a dirt road, but impacted trees during the landing, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the left ruddervator. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed evidence of lubrication distress that ultimately resulted in the failure of three of the engine’s six connecting rods. Based on this evidence and the pilot’s description that a burning oil smell and loss of oil pressure preceded the loss of engine power, it is likely that the engine began to leak oil at some point during the flight; however, the reason for or source of the oil leak was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.