Beech D35 accident near Dodge Center, Minnesota, November 9, 2002
On November 9, 2002 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Beech D35, registered N2935B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dodge Center, Minnesota (Dodge Center airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to a fractured engine driven pump shaft pin. The low altitude and unsuitable terrain encountered were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 2002 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Dodge Center, Minnesota · Dodge Center · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D35 · all D35s on the register
- Registration
- N2935B · no longer on the register · serial D-3576
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1953 Beech D35 airplane experienced a loss of engine power after takeoff. The pilot executed an emergency turn back to the departure airport and made a forced landing 1/4 mile southeast of the airport on a plowed field. Inspection of the airplane revealed that the flaps and landing gear were in the retracted position. The pilot stated that he could not restart the engine when he actuated the wobble pump. Post accident actuation of the wobble pump noted fuel output at the engine driven pump inlet. The engine was run on a test stand and lost power. The engine driven fuel pump was replaced and the engine was run again without a loss of power. Disassembly of the removed pump revealed that the drive shaft pin was fractured and a brown substance consistent with corrosion was present. The pilot was seriously injured and injured his head when it stuck the instrument panel.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 789 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 6, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,296 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 3, 2001; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,726 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TOB Dodge Center MN at 8:10 pm
- Destination: TOB Dodge Center MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.28 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from TOB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.