Beech P35 accident near Bluffton, South Carolina, June 12, 1994
On June 12, 1994 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Beech P35, registered N982Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bluffton, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO OIL STARVATION. THIS RESULTED FROM AN UNDERTORQUED CONDITION OF THE OIL FILTER ADAPTER, AND THE SUBSEQUENT FRETTING OF THE ADAPTER THREADS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 1994 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bluffton, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech P35 · all P35s on the register
- Registration
- N982Q · no longer on the register · serial D-6846
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT OBSERVED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, ACCOMPANIED BY THE SMELL OF BURNING OIL. THE PROPELLER OVERSPED, AND THE ENGINE SUBSEQUENTLY QUIT. THE AIRPLANE WAS FORCE LANDED ON A GOLF COURSE, AND COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING THE LANDING ROLL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE THREADS ON THE OIL FILTER ADAPTER, AND THE MATING THREADS ON THE ENGINE CASE, WERE SEVERELY FRETTED, AND OIL HAD LEAKED OUT OF THE ENGINE, AROUND THE ADAPTER THREADS. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF OIL STARVATION AND THERMAL DISTRESS ON INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE JAM NUT WHICH TIGHTENS THE ADAPTER TO THE ENGINE CASE EITHER LOST ITS PRELOAD TORQUE, OR WAS UNDERTORQUED DURING MAINTENANCE. LOGBOOK ENTRIES INDICATING THE LAST MAINTENANCE ON THE ADAPTER WERE NOT LOCATED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 820 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 780 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,142 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1993; 231 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,125 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SRQ Sarasota FL at 2:10 pm
- Destination: NC99 Garner NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from SAV, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.