Beech 35 accident near Griffin, Georgia, February 22, 1996
On February 22, 1996 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Beech 35, registered N3134V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Griffin, Georgia. It was a business 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
failure of maintenance personnel to properly balance the ruddervator assemblies after they had been reskinned and painted, which resulted in flutter and subsequent damage to the empennage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 1996 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Griffin, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N3134V · registry record · serial D-566
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Flutter of the empennage occurred as the airplane was descending through 8,000 feet at 120 mph. The flutter subsided when the pilot reduced engine power, and he subsequently landed without incident. Examination of the empennage disclosed that the bulkhead at fuselage station (FS) 256.9 exhibited cracks at the four corners of the assembly. Also, buckling of the fuselage skin was noted adjacent to the damaged bulkhead. The ruddervators, which previously had been reskinned, painted, and balanced, were removed from the airframe and balance checked in accordance with the Bonanza 35 Series Shop Manual. The left and right ruddervators exhibited static underbalance moments (trailing edge heavy) of 20.78 and 21.76 inch-pounds, respectively. According to the shop manual, the required static underbalance range is 16.80 to 19.80 inch pounds.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 190 hours in all; 75 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,183 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 25, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MCO Orlando FL
- Destination: 6A2
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.