Beech F35 accident near Syracuse, New York, December 24, 2010
On December 24, 2010 at about 8:58 pm local time, a Beech F35, registered N3448B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Syracuse, New York (Syracuse Hancock International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing with airframe structural icing, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s continued flight into known icing conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 2010 · about 8:58 pm local time
- Place
- Syracuse, New York · Syracuse Hancock International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F35 · all F35s on the register
- Registration
- N3448B · no longer on the register · serial D-4232
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was receiving vectors for an instrument approach when the controller advised of reported icing conditions and assigned the pilot an altitude that would keep the flight out of the icing levels; however, the pilot requested and received clearance for an altitude within those reported icing levels. During the approach, the pilot saw a trace of ice accumulating on the windshield and continued the approach to the runway. The pilot stated that, during the landing roll, the airplane’s nose landing gear broke off, and the airplane to skidded off the runway into the snow. Examination of the runway revealed that the skid marks started about 300 feet from the beginning of the runway and led off the runway. The pilot initially stated that the nose landing gear malfunctioned but later stated that the icing possibly caused the airplane to stall. An examination of the airplane wreckage immediately after the accident confirmed that ice had built up on the leading edge of the airplane’s wings. Examination of the nose landing gear revealed that the chrome piston strut section had separated in an aft direction in overload, just below the piston strut housing. There was no evidence of a mechanical malfunction of the nose landing gear. The airplane was not certified for flight in known icing conditions.
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
- Structural icing during approach (IFR initial approach)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Snow › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,057 hours in all; 852 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 938 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 3, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,686 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 2010; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor E225 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SYR Syracuse NY at 8:20 pm
- Destination: SYR Syracuse NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 9,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from SYR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.