Beech V35 accident near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, October 28, 2018
On October 28, 2018 at about 5:10 pm local time, a 1966 Beech V35, registered N5624S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Murfreesboro Municipal 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 pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering at low altitude in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 2018 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee · Murfreesboro Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35 UNDESIGNAT, built 1966 · all V35s on the register
- Registration
- N5624S · registry record · serial D-8168
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a cross-country, personal flight. He reported that, during approach to the destination airport, he had to manually extend the landing gear because he noticed the "down" light was not green. A witness who was in the airport terminal reported that he heard the pilot announce on the CTAF that his airplane was having "amperage" issues and that he might have to land with no radios. The pilot then asked him to confirm that the landing gear were extended. The witness went out to the taxiway and checked the landing gear status as the pilot conducted a low pass over the runway. The landing gear was not extended fully. The pilot stated that he attempted to go around but that the airplane was "sucked down" into trees by "a very strong wind" as the airplane proceeded beyond the departure end of the runway. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the alternator switch was in the "off" position, which would have prevented the battery from charging and likely led to there being insufficient battery power to extend the landing gear. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, there was a right quartering headwind at 14 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,208 hours in all; 999,999 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 1, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,603 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 27, 2018; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GKT Sevierville TN at 3:00 pm
- Destination: MBT Murfreesboro TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,753 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from MBT, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 20, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.