Beech P35 accident near Gustavus, Alaska, July 1, 2006
On July 1, 2006 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Beech P35, registered N8690M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gustavus, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2006 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Gustavus, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech P35 · all P35s on the register
- Registration
- N8690M · registry record · serial D-7279
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 657 hours in all; 531 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 584 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,592 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2006; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAJN Juneau AK at 12:45 pm
- Destination: PAYA Yakutat AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 165° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from PAGS, 63 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.