Beech N35 accident near Madisonville, Tennessee, October 18, 2019
On October 18, 2019 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1961 Beech N35, registered N564T, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Madisonville, Tennessee (Monroe County 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 unstable approach and delayed decision to go-around. Contributing to the accident was the unporting of the fuel supply following a forward slip maneuver during the approach, which resulted in the loss of engine power during the go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2019 · about 7:30 pm local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Madisonville, Tennessee · Monroe County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech N35 NO SERIES, built 1961 · all N35s on the register
- Registration
- N564T · registry record · serial D-6744
- 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, during a simulated loss of engine power landing, the airplane was too fast and high, so he performed a forward slip to the left to increase the descent rate. The airplane touched down on the runway with less than 1/3 of its distance remaining and immediately bounced back into the air. The pilot added power to initiate a go-around; however, the engine did not respond, and the airplane subsequently descended into trees and terrain beyond the departure end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. Examination revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, and the engine produced normal power during a test run. Thus, it is likely that the fuel unported from the right tank following the forward slip to the left, and the fuel supply was interrupted as the pilot attempted the go-around. The accident would have likely been prevented if the pilot had performed a go-around earlier during the approach, when he realized that the airplane was too high and too fast to safely land on the available runway.
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
- Landing area overshoot during landing
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 583 hours in all; 506 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 556 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 22, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,026 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,125 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N (piston); 1,374 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T73 Lancaster SC at 6:14 pm
- Destination: MNV Madisonville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 05, 3,643 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KMNV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of airplane at the accident site
Photo 2 – View of airplane at the accident site
Photo 3 – View of airplane showing damage to both wingsThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 10, 2020. 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 | NTSB Memo for Record - FAA Engine Exam | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Airplane Flying Handbook Excerpts | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N564T on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft N35 167 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-470-N 12 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Monroe County · nearest airport
- Kirk Air Base · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Tennessee 1,198 since 1982 · 231 in the last ten years
- Tennessee 6,535 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA20LA018.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.