Beech V35 incident near New Haven, Connecticut, September 18, 2011
On September 18, 2011 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Beech V35, registered N275BM, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (climb to cruise) near New Haven, Connecticut (Tweed-New Haven 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 in-flight fatigue failure of the engine’s crankshaft, which resulted in the separation of the forward portion of the crankshaft and the propeller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2011 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- New Haven, Connecticut · Tweed-New Haven · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35 · all V35s on the register
- Registration
- N275BM · registry record · serial D-8196
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the climb after takeoff, as the airplane approached 6,000 feet mean sea level, the crankshaft fractured, and the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The forward portion of the crankshaft, with the propeller attached, departed the engine. The pilot declared an emergency and returned to the departure airport where he performed a forced landing on a runway. The airplane sustained minor nose gear damage when it overran the runway. Examination of the crankshaft revealed that it was fractured across the No. 4 main journal. Metallurgical examination revealed cracks that initiated on the bearing surface near an oil transfer tube and propagated in fatigue. At the time of the incident, the engine had been operated for about 910 total hours, about 500 hours of which had occurred since maintenance, which was performed about 2 1/2 years before the incident and included the reinstallation of the Nos. 2 and 4 cylinders. The crankcase adjacent to the fractured portion of the crankshaft showed significant fretting on the mating surfaces, possibly due to incorrect torque applied during the previous cylinder repair; however, the investigation could not determine the relevance of that repair, if any, due to the time that had elapsed since the repair was completed.
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
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng front section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller assembly › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 660 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 590 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 12, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,470 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 2011; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Westchester Flying Club, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: HVN New Haven CT at 2:30 pm
- Destination: MMU Morristown NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 3,626 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.42 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from HVN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.