Beech E35 accident near Lagrange, Indiana, November 23, 1984
On November 23, 1984 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Beech E35, registered N3301C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lagrange, Indiana (Oliver Lake 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 1984 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lagrange, Indiana · Oliver Lake Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E35 · all E35s on the register
- Registration
- N3301C · no longer on the register · serial D-3967
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT WAS LANDING IN GUSTY, CROSSWIND CONDITIONS. ON LATE FINAL, A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE LEFT WING TO DROP AND STRIKE THE TOP OF AN 80 FT TREE. ACFT TOUCHED DOWN NOSE LOW, COLLAPSING THE LANDING GEAR.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 290 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,557 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 2,725 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FWA Ft. Wayne IN at 5:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,000 ft by 85 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.