Beech N35 accident near Wardsville, Missouri, July 20, 2022
On July 20, 2022 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 1961 Beech N35, registered N1228Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Wardsville, Missouri. It was a personal 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
Engine failure due to oil starvation resulting from an oil leak at the improperly installed aftermarket oil filter adapter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2022 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Wardsville, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech N35, built 1961 · all N35s on the register
- Registration
- N1228Z · registry record · serial D-6688
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported the flight was uneventful until he was approaching the destination airport. During the approach, he observed the oil pressure drop to zero and, shortly afterward, the engine started running rough. The pilot subsequently heard a “bang” from the engine and observed smoke from under the engine cowling. The engine lost power completely and he executed a forced landing to a field. The airframe sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. Postaccident examination revealed that the engine failed because of oil starvation. At the time of the examination, the aftermarket oil filter adapter was loose and not safety wired in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness directive.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,578 hours in all; 3,721 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 6,447 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 30, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,420 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 20, 2021; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-470-N (piston); 7,420 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0TE4 Hilltop Lakes TX at 3:15 pm
- Destination: JEF Jefferson City MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KJEF, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KJEF 202353Z 31008KT 10SM CLR 33/17 A2979
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
15 documents, released by the NTSB on November 15, 2023. 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN22LA330.