Beech V35A accident near Seymour, Indiana, June 23, 1988
On June 23, 1988 at about 3:30 am local time, a Beech V35A, registered N7892R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Seymour, Indiana (Freeman Muni airport). 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 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
- June 23, 1988 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Seymour, Indiana · Freeman Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35A · all V35As on the register
- Registration
- N7892R · registry record · serial D8944
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 6500 FEET WHEN ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. PILOT NAVIGATED TO NEAREST AIRPORT AND MADE INTENTIONAL GEAR-UP LANDING WITH CRUISE POWER. POSTCRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED NUMBER 2 EXHAUST VALVE HAD FAILED AND BECOME WEDGED BETWEEN THE CYLINDER AND PISTON TOP, CRACKING THE CYLINDER HEAD AT THE BARREL THREADS.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,630 hours in all; 540 in this make and model; 163 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 1,875 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,313 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 3, 1988; 149 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DKX Knoxville TN at 1:50 am
- Destination: 3CK Chicago IL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 4, 5,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.