Beech M35 accident near Strafford, Missouri, June 3, 2004
On June 3, 2004 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Beech M35, registered N693V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Strafford, Missouri. 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
The improper installation of the cylinder during the engine overhaul which resulted in the fatigue failure of the cylinder studs and through-bolts and the subsequent separation of the cylinder. Factors associated with the accident were the fence and the guy wire which the airplane contacted during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2004 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Strafford, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech M35 · all M35s on the register
- Registration
- N693V · registry record · serial D-6444
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with a fence and a guy wire during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported he was flying at 8,500 feet mean sea level when the number 2 cylinder departed the engine resulting in a total loss of engine power. He reported that with no airports within gliding distance, he elected to land in a farmer's field where the airplane contacted a fence and a guy wire. The number 2 cylinder and the left magneto were not located after the accident. Half of the crankcase, two fractured cylinder through-bolts, two cylinder through-bolt nuts with pieces of bolts inside, four cylinder hold down nuts with pieces of studs inside, a connecting rod cap with the connecting rod cap bolt, and a connecting rod nut were submitted for a metallurgical examination. The studs and through-bolts were arbitrarily numbered clockwise starting at the upper forward stud. All of the studs and through-bolts that were examined exhibited fatigue cracking with stud 3 exhibiting the largest fatigue region. A lip was observed on the surface of the crankcase which corresponded to the forward edge of the cylinder barrel flange, adjacent to the through-bolts. Linear marks aligned with the axis of the cylinder were observed at the aft side of the cylinder hole corresponding to sliding contact with the cylinder barrel skirt. Sectioning of studs 3 and 4 revealed cracks and/or rolling laps at the thread roots. On stud 4, many of the cracks extended radially then turned. Two studs were removed from cylinder #4 and one of them also displayed sharp thread radii and cracking. This cylinder did not fail. The engine was overhauled on July 6, 2000, at a tach time of 2440.33 hours. The engine had accumulated 194.03 hours since the overhaul.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 26,000 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,778 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 2003; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEL Tell City IN at 3:05 pm
- Destination: TUL Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 39,800 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 am from SGF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.