Beech 35 accident near Batesville, Arkansas, February 8, 2018
On February 8, 2018 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1956 Beech 35, registered N4654D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Batesville, Arkansas (Batesville Rgnl airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight control system flutter encounter during a turbulence encounter; the reason for the flutter could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2018 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Batesville, Arkansas · Batesville Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 G35, built 1956 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N4654D · no longer on the register · serial D-4836
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The v-tail-equipped airplane was descending from cruise flight when it encountered turbulence, which was followed by shaking from the tail of the airplane. The pilot reduced engine power and pulled back slightly on the yoke. According to the pilot, the shaking stopped, and the airplane seemed to operate normally for the rest of the flight. After landing, the pilot noticed damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination revealed buckling and wrinkling to the aft fuselage skins. Control cable tension could not be determined because of the fuselage damage. The balance of the ruddervators was checked and found to be within the manufacturer's specifications. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the airplane encountered tail surface flutter in turbulent conditions.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute (descent) defining event
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (descent)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Fuselage main structure › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,553 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 2017; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,778 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: ARW Beaufort SC
- Destination: BVX Batesville AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.42 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from BVX, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on April 7, 2020. 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 | Record of Conversation with Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Balance Check of Ruddervators | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Beechcraft Safety Communique from 1993 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Airworthiness Directive - Ad 94-20-04 R2 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Conversation with FAA Inspector | 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.