Beech 35 B33 accident near Urbana, Indiana, September 24, 2013
On September 24, 2013 at about 1:20 pm local time, a 1963 Beech 35 B33, registered N8910M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Urbana, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the crankshaft following several overheating events that had led to a stress crack and the subsequent fracture forward of the No. 6 rod journal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2013 · about 1:20 pm local time
- Place
- Urbana, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 B33, built 1963 · all 35 B33s on the register
- Registration
- N8910M · no longer on the register · serial CD-690
- 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, while in cruise flight, he noticed a change in the engine sound and a 100-rpm increase on the tachometer. He adjusted the propeller control to lower the rpm, but the rpm immediately increased to over 3,500, which is above the red line. The pilot reduced the propeller and throttle controls, but the propeller continued to overspeed. The propeller then separated from the airplane, and engine oil covered the windscreen. The pilot subsequently made a forced landing to a soft bean field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and engine mounts. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft was fractured forward of the No. 6 rod journal across the oil transfer collar area and that the No. 6 rod had separated from the crankshaft. An examination of the fracture revealed evidence of several overheating events at the surface of the crankshaft next to the oil transfer collar hole. A crack had formed adjacent to the overheated surface, and the surface crack led to a stress crack, which formed the surface of the main separation fracture.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,348 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,212 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 28, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,691 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 21, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-470 N (piston); 2,925 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AWG Washington IA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: VNW Van Wert OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from ASW, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on October 14, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evidence Control Forms | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 - Main Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2 - Main Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 3 - Crankshaft Left Side | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 4 - Crankshaft Front View | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 5 - Crankshaft Front View | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.