Beech N35 accident near Warren, Arkansas, April 15, 2013
On April 15, 2013 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Beech N35, registered N9414Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Warren, Arkansas (Warren Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue failure of the engine crankshaft due to oversized crankcase saddle bores, which resulted from maintenance personnel improperly resizing the saddle bores during engine maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2013 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Warren, Arkansas · Warren Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech N35 · all N35s on the register
- Registration
- N9414Y · no longer on the register · serial D-6592
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the engine lost power during the initial climb. He then established a glide in an attempt to return to the airport; however, due to "strong" wind, the airplane landed "abruptly short of the runway." A postaccident engine examination revealed that the crankshaft had fractured due to fatigue through the No. 3 cheek immediately aft of the No. 2 main bearing journal. Portions of the saddle bore diameter at the nose of the crankshaft were oversized. The crankcase No. 2 main bearing saddle exhibited longitudinal deformation adjacent to the bore with fretting and galling on the saddle landings. The No. 1 main bearing shells were deformed; the No. 2 main bearing shells were worn, deformed, and partially split. The remaining bearings exhibited helical lines that matched the machining lines on the crankcase main bearing saddles. The tin coating had been worn away except around the oil transfer holes. The appearance of the main bearing shells was consistent with the bearings shifting during operation due to insufficient crush, which was likely caused by the oversized main saddle bore diameters. Maintenance records indicated that the engine was disassembled about 15 months before the accident due to a propeller strike. At that time, maintenance personnel cut the crankcase mating surfaces and resized the saddle bores. The engine had accumulated about 16.5 hours since the engine was reinstalled. It is likely that maintenance personnel improperly resized the saddle bores during the engine maintenance.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,832 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 7,436 as pilot in command; 682 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 24, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,266 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,125 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-520-BA(6) (piston); 1,713 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3M9 Warren AR at 2:30 pm
- Destination: MEZ Mena AR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 3,829 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from LLQ, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13LA229.