Beech 35-B33 accident near Troy, Michigan, December 27, 1997
On December 27, 1997 at about 3:32 pm local time, a Beech 35-B33, registered N512WM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Troy, Michigan (Oakland/Troy airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s). Factors associated with the accident were: the lack of a suitable forced landing site, and the embankment (dirt bank), which the airplane contacted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 27, 1997 · about 3:32 pm local time
- Place
- Troy, Michigan · Oakland/Troy
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-B33 · all 35-B33s on the register
- Registration
- N512WM · no longer on the register · serial CD589
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after liftoff, at an altitude of 200 to 300 feet, the engine sputtered and began to lose power. He lowered the nose to prevent a stall and turned left '...to an area and a point where I could put the plane down at.' The airplane touched down, slid into an embankment, and was destroyed by fire. The pilot stated he had the fuel selector positioned on the left fuel tank when he performed the engine run-up and taxi. He then switched the selector to the right tank just before takeoff.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,515 hours in all; 1,250 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,686 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 8, 1997; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 7D2 at 3:32 pm
- Destination: HTS Huntington WV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from PTK, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.