Beech K35 accident near Hammond, Louisiana, October 28, 2021
On October 28, 2021 at about 9:26 pm local time, a 1959 Beech K35, registered N899RW, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Hammond, Louisiana (Hammond Northshore Regional Ai airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A complete loss of engine power due to oil starvation as a result of the oil filter safety wire fracturing and the oil filter becoming loose in flight for a reason that could not be determined given the evidence available during the investigation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2021 · about 9:26 pm local time
- Place
- Hammond, Louisiana · Hammond Northshore Regional Ai · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech K35, built 1959 · all K35s on the register
- Registration
- N899RW · no longer on the register · serial D-6064
- 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 on approach to the airport, smoke filled the cockpit and the oil pressure gauge indicated zero. Unable to make the runway, the pilot declared an emergency and turned toward a nearby interstate. During descent, the engine lost total power. The airplane touched down between traffic, and as the airplane slowed, the right wing struck a truck. The airplane swerved off the pavement and it came to rest nose down in the median. During an on-scene examination, oil was observed along the bottom and right side of the airplane. The engine cowling was removed, and oil was noted inside the cowling and on the engine components near the oil filter. The oil filter safety wire was fractured and separated allowing the oil filter to rotate freely when turned by hand. The pilot who was not a licensed mechanic performed his own oil and oil filter changes on this airplane. When asked about safety wire and how to apply it, he said he was unaware of specific safety wire guidance, he “just installed it.” It was evident that the loss of engine power resulted due to oil starvation as a result of the loose oil filter. Given the available evidence it it could not be determined why the oil filter safety wire fractured or if it was properly installed.
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 approach defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Owner/builder
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TME Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,502 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.64 inHg
- Observation at 4:23 pm from KHDC, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KHDC 282123Z AUTO 28009G16KT 10SM OVC055 18/08 A2964 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 28, 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 | Record of Conversation - Pilot/owner/mechanic | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation and on Scene Photos - FAA Inspector | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Email - Textron Aviation Representative | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Safety Wire Fact Sheet from the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team | 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.
Other NTSB records under N899RW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.