Beech K35 accident near Greensboro, North Carolina, June 30, 1988
On June 30, 1988 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Beech K35, registered N5335R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greensboro, North Carolina (Greensboro airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1988 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Greensboro, North Carolina · Greensboro
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech K35 · all K35s on the register
- Registration
- N5335R · no longer on the register · serial 05803
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS CLIMBING TO 11,000 FEET WITH AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CLEARANCE WHEN A PROPELLER BLADE SEPARATED FROM THE HUB. THE BLADE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RECOVERED FROM THE YARD OF A LOCAL RESIDENT. THE FRACTURE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THAT THE CRACKING ORIGINATED IN THE THREADED PORTION OF HUB. THE FAILURE RESULTED FROM FATIGUE CRACKING THROUGH ABOUT 60% OF THE SHANK'S DIAMETER. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY AFTER GLIDING FROM ABOUT 9,000 FEET WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,690 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1988; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Atlanta GA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Wilmington DE
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from GSO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N5335R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.