Beech V35 accident near Monroe, Wisconsin, August 27, 2019
On August 27, 2019 at about 5:06 pm local time, a 1967 Beech V35, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N6245V, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Monroe, Wisconsin (Monroe Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the Nos. 5 and 6 connecting rods from a lack of oil lubrication for reasons that 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
- August 27, 2019 · about 5:06 pm local time
- Place
- Monroe, Wisconsin · Monroe Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35, built 1967, amateur-built · all V35s on the register
- Registration
- N6245V · no longer on the register · serial D-8581
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and passenger were en route on an instrument flight rules flight when the engine lost oil pressure, followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and stated that he “had an oil pressure event there but it’s building back up so standby.” The controller cleared him direct to the nearest airport and asked the pilot if he need any assistance at the airport, which the pilot declined. Flight track data showed that the airplane began a shallow descent toward the diversion airport before the data ended about 2 minutes later. The pilot stated that he flew directly over the airport and was unable to see it due to oil on the windshield and smoke in the cabin; he eventually performed a forced landing in a field about 4 nautical miles from the diversion airport. A postaccident disassembly examination revealed a large hole in the top of the engine crankcase above the No. 6 cylinder. The inside of the engine contained a significant amount of metallic debris. The Nos. 1 through 4 connecting rods remained attached to the crankshaft, but all exhibited significant heat distress from a lack of oil lubrication. The Nos. 5 and 6 connecting rods fractured at the bearing and sustained damage from impacting the crankshaft, cylinder walls, and the inside of the case. The ends of the Nos. 5 and 6 connecting rods and their bearings were not found or identified within the available metallic debris. It is likely that the Nos. 5 and 6 connecting rods failed due to a lack of oil lubrication; however, the reason for the oil loss could not be determined. The continued operation of the engine after the loss of oil pressure likely contributed to and aggravated the amount of damage to the engine.
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 enroute defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,680 hours in all; 1,313 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 1,670 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 9, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,873 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-520-BA (piston); 1,931 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RST Rochester MN
- Destination: MDW Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.83 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KEFT, 4 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
16 documents, released by the NTSB on February 15, 2022. 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.
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.