Beech 35 accident near Sidney, Iowa, April 10, 2020
On April 10, 2020 at about 5:25 pm local time, a 1961 Beech 35, registered N1258Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Sidney, Iowa. It was a personal 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
A loss of engine power 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
- April 10, 2020 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Sidney, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 N35, built 1961 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N1258Z · no longer on the register · serial D-6712
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the accident flight was the third following an annual inspection; the airplane had flown about 1.5 hours since the completion of the annual inspection. About 80 minutes into the flight, the engine ceased to produce power. When the pilot moved the throttle from the cruise setting to idle and then back to the previous setting, the RPM gauge fluctuated, but power could not be restored. He said that while looking for a place to land, he and his passenger began detecting a "slight burning smell." He conducted an emergency landing to a grass field. Upon touchdown, the nose gear collapsed, and the left main gear was compressed up and into the left wing, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. Postaccident examinations of the engine, ignition system, fuel system and propeller governor found no evidence of any anomalies or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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 (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command; 4,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 3, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,625 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 31, 2020; 2.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,125 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continenal IO-470 (piston); 2,625 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1H0 St Louis MO at 4:00 pm
- Destination: MLE Omaha NE
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 am from KSDA, 12 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
10 documents, released by the NTSB on February 1, 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Propeller Governor Exam Memo | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Fuel System Exam Memo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Exam Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Record of Conversation_engine Exam | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Magneto and Spark Plug Examination Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Spark Plug STC Information | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Wreckage Release | PDF, 2 pages | 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.